


Mending the Mist | Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order |Cal Kestis/Reader

by MilkySunflowers



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Canon Rewrite, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Force-Sensitive Reader, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, M/M, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Star Wars References, The Force
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:46:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 37,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23781820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilkySunflowers/pseuds/MilkySunflowers
Summary: The original Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order story, only rewritten to include the Reader. Read as the reader works through their trauma and as they join Cal on his journey to get the Holocron from the Empire.Original Story and characters by Lucas Films and EA.
Relationships: Cal Kestis & Original Character(s), Cal Kestis/Original Female Character(s), Cal Kestis/Original Male Character(s), Cal Kestis/Reader, Cal Kestis/You
Comments: 21
Kudos: 91





	1. Prologue

We're all born with a destiny, a duty we are unknowingly trusted with by The Force.

Some are born to do great things and go on to advocate for others whose voices cannot and will not be heard by those whose lives are blinded with blatant ignorance, they go on to fight the good fight for those who are unable to, they establish a sense of morality and peace wherever they step foot. Yet often times they are blinded by tradition and are stuck in their ways. Rejecting any notion that you are anything other than perfect. They are the light side of The Force.

Some are instead born to corrupt and destroy everything they touch, to bring misery to the innocents. These very same souls actively seek out the destruction of anything they desire, they seek out the support and endorsement of oppression of tortured souls as they see fit. Feeding off of hatred and fear, their goal is to divide and control the universe. They are the dark side of The Force.

Then there are those who understand the importance of balance, who see the importance of empathy and kindness, but also see the same importance in embracing fear, of embracing anger and sadness. They understand that to be able to fight the good fight you have to come to terms with your past and who you are. That to be the best you could be, you have to acknowledge your darkest parts and come to terms with who you are. They are the balance in The Force.

The Force is a powerful entity, it works in mysterious ways, allowing some to harness its power and use it at their whim. Steering the shift of the balance as they please. Force-sensitives, as they have been known to be called, are a force to be reckoned with.

Why does this matter anyway?

The Force as powerful as it may be is also very nurturing, allowing one to make their own decisions, leading them down paths that will all ultimately result in the same fate.

A cruel hand to live under, no doubt.

Yet, it is up to each and every one of us, to own up to our actions and take responsibility for the things that have made us who we are. To embrace and honor the sacrifices made by those around us so that we could succeed and flourish. To embrace the blood, sweat, and tears we have poured into our lives. To embrace the things that makes us who we are is the very definition of fulfilling our destiny.

However, it is not clear as to how we should go about this journey of acceptance and self love. That is why some choose to simply leave it up to The Force to drift them towards their destinies.


	2. Part 1

You were splayed out across Greez's couch, lazily basking under the artificial lights fixed to the ceiling of the Mantis, the ship that you had made into your home not too long ago. Twirling a thin, metallic cylindrical object between your fingers, a lightsaber, you retreat into your mind. Spacing out completely as you stare off into the void-

"Are you listening to me Y/N?!" Cere exclaims as she quickly rushes past you into the cockpit after noticing you had snapped out of your daze. Following her with your eyes you quickly sit up, bewildered as to why she'd spoken to in such a harsh tone. Cere was not one to ever speak in such a manner, much less to you.

"What? What in the Maker's name happened?" You question, treading cautiously around the obviously agitated woman. You'd truly never seen her this way, except for when she first recruited you aboard the Mantis, uncharacteristically irritated at the fact that you weren't the answer to all her questions.

"She's found a Jedi on Bracca! Now hurry up off your butt and get in your chair, we're all hands on this time, kid." Greez quickly adds, hot on Cere's trail. The Latero genuinely panicked as he sat in his chair readying the ship to jump into Hyperspace.

Realizing the gravity of situation, you jump out of your current position, almost hitting your shoulder on the frame of the door to sit in the chair next to Greez. Yanking a communications headset over your head you set coordinates to the junkyard of planet known as Bracca and set off on your journey.

This wasn't any ordinary mission, this could finally be your big break, maybe Cere would finally get off your back. You couldn't really fulfill the vision of you she had nor did you ever really care to. Restoring the Jedi Order wasn't really your scene, however your empathy for others betrayed you and you ended up making a false promise to Cere; that you'd be the one to restore the Jedi Order.

Sure you felt bad, who wouldn't? Leading on a woman blinded by her loyalty to a past era with false hopes that you'd be the messiah who would make all her hopes and dreams come true, wasn't exactly the Jedi or any morally correct way. You couldn't say no to Cere, not when she was practically at your knees begging you to at least try, to try for all the children whose lives didn't have to be taken away unjustly just as yours was. Guilt and pity clawing away at any resolve you might've had you stared into her round eyes, you sighed softly and gave into her desperate pleas. Deep down you have always had your suspicions that she knew your heart wasn't in it, maybe that's why she kept looking for another Jedi. Maybe she also took pity on you, maybe it was guilt eating her alive that she forced you into her selfish affairs. She knew what that meant to your life and how important self preservation was, especially after the Purge. Perhaps that also had a hand in why she kept you around. Either way, you made a promise to Cere that you would stick around and thats exactly what you're going to do. You needed her as much as she need you.

Jumping in Hyperspace was never really fun for you, you never got used to it. Lurching back into your seat you shot Greez a look, he gave an apologetic wince in return. Sighing you look back down at your monitors.

"We should be coming up on Bracca pretty soon here, so before we do just want you guys to know that you have all been a pain in my ass." You sarcastically state. Not even sparing your companions a glance as you address them.

"Yeah yeah, love you too, kid." Greez shakes his head as he huffs out his response. You always did have a strange way of showing those around you that you cared. Never really one for sappy moments or moments in general. The war and the purge had hardened your outlook on the universe, you lost the ability to freely express yourself and the ability to blindly trust those around you, something that has kept you very much alive and breathing. Yet you couldn't help but go against every instinct that screamed at you to walk away from the broken woman at your feet. You trusted Cere. Once again Cere's words derailed your train of thought as she spoke.

"Greez right there! Get me in close, I'll see if I can try and grab him." Cere spilled as she trotted to the opening hatch of the Mantis, holding on tightly to the frame as Greez harshly jerked the ship closer to an Imperial train, one you hadn't even noticed was there, shooting an enemy aircraft out of the sky. As soon as you were close enough to the train you could see a figure running through the cabins, red hair flapping in sync with the harsh wind. A blue lightsaber swinging and twirling furiously back and forth between the Stormtroopers tasked with guarding the train, sparks and blaster bolts flying off of the powerful weapon, slowly making their way through the train. As soon as Cere can get close enough to talk to him she slams her hand on the control panel next to the door, opening the door.

"We're here to help!" She shouts, struggling to project her voice over the loud sounds of the train and the Mantis alike.

"Who are you?!" The boy shouts, caution and distrust evident in his voice.

"No time! Keep Moving! We'll pick you up when we can!" Cere shouts one last time, closing the door and sitting back at her station. Greez picks up the speed as an enemy starts to chase after us.

"Hurry it up Greez, any slower and we'll be dead sooner than you can clap all four hands of yours together." You yell out to him, switching back and forth between the screens searching frantically for any enemies that would get in your way.

"Maybe if you would focus on spotting those Imps then maybe I could!" He snaps back at me, both of us stressed equally trying to do our best.

"Arguing won't help anyone especially not that poor boy out there!" Care intrudes , breaking up the tension between you and Greez. After loosing the aircraft you utter a quiet apology to the Latero to your left and get back to your station. You spot another fighter zoom over head of the Jedi, you quickly turn to Greez and warn him just as the fighter made a turn around and headed straight for the boy.

"Greez you might wanna head back for that Jedi, he's about to go for a joyride straight into the abyss if we don't catch him! There's a fighter gunning after him, right there, look!" Without a word or a need for justification he pushes up his beloved ship even harder than ever before towards the train again just as the cart the Jedi was one broke off. As the the Jedi was about to fall into the void Cere runs back to the hatch and rushes out to him.

"Jump now!" She inches closer to him, careful to not fall herself.

"Hold on!" She encourages again, barely touching fingertips before the bridge gets blasted, sending the Jedi plummeting down.

"No!" Cere stumbles back into the ship. Just before you all throw in the towel, thinking that you had just gotten the poor boy killed. You see him grab onto a droid and slowly descend onto a platform but not before colliding with a floater. A rush of relief floods all of you, releasing a breath you didn't know you were all holding.

"At least he's alive?" You offer, wincing as Cere sent a glare your way. You slowly turn in your chair meeting Greez's eyes in the process, he just shrugs. Starting up the Mantis again in search of the infamous Jedi. Making your way your way to him you see him and the Second Sister, an inquisitor for the the Empire, clashing lightsabers. Glares being shot at one another as they face off each other.  
You quickly slam the button for Greez, blasting the inquisitor off of him. You give the being next to you, your famous "Geez Greez" look. Cere opens the door again.

"Get on aboard!" She yells to the red-headed boy as he limps his way to the Mantis, cradling his shoulder. As he gets near the opening the Second Sister stands up again, igniting her lightsaber. Before she can do anything Cere yanks the boy in, shooting the inquisitor. Though it proved to be a fruitless effort as she effortlessly dodged the blaster bolt. Wasting no time, Cere keeps shooting, and again the inquisitor dodges. Picking up momentum and deflecting every bolt with each step she takes. Soon she starts running at the ship.

"Captain!" Cere shouts closing the hatch door, narrowly shutting out the Second Sister, evident as she leaves a bright red streak of molten alloy in the wake of her lightsaber. Greez would not love that. Thinking you're in the clear you relax, letting your tense muscles melt into the leather chair you were sitting on, rubbing your face out of pure stress. Suddenly, the Second Sister appears in front of you, landing with a loud bang against the glass of the cockpit. Holding onto the ship, she uses The Force to take control of the steering wheel to pull the Mantis into the ground, seeking its destruction. As the Mantis twirls and spins to the whim of the inquisitor, throwing everyone for a not so pleasant ride, you push aside the bile threatening to escape your throat and yank the steering wheel in the opposite direction in hopes of shaking her off. After succeeding in your task Greez wastes no time in kicking the ship into hyperspace to escape the planet. Settling into your seats as the Mantis evens, you all look back to the Jedi. Then back to each other, and then back to the Jedi. Unsure of how to address him, clearly agitated and jittery, he even forgot to turn his damn lightsaber off.

"Okay, shut that thing off and grab some seat." Greez barely manages out, pointing to the couches behind him. Cere turns around and walks off to the holo-table, not sparing the kid so much as glance as he struggles to ground himself in reality.

"Thanks for the help, but who are you people?" He inquires, an air of caution lacing his words. Eyes darting back and forth between the three of you. Giving him a once over you could immediately tell that this kid was a wreck, a fidgety and nervous wreck. His bottom lip quivering, body language just screaming that he was ready for a fight, never even releasing the death grip on his lightsaber. Red hair combed back, a dirty poncho covering most of his torso, and scars littering his freckled face. He looked like he had truly been dragged through the depths of Dathomir.

"My name is Cere Junda. This is my captain, Greez Dritus. And that's Y/N Y/L/N." She gestures to both you and Greez. Both of you wave at the young man as he turns around, observing his surroundings.

"How ya doin? Yeah, the Mantis is my ship but you better pay attention to this lady here." He points to Cere, you let out a noise in agreement, folding your arms over your chest as the Jedi turns around to face the crew.

"So, who are you?" Cere offers.

"Cal. Kestis. Who was that back there?" He demands, short of breath. Cere pauses for a brief moment, evaluating the question. You put your hands on your hips and offered her an apologetic look. You all had your demons, Cere was no exception.

"An Imperial Inquisitor. She's a Force user hunting Jedi survivors and now that she knows who you are... she will not stop until she destroys you." Conviction and determination etched into her words as she addressed Cal.

"How do you know so much? And why'd you help me?" He grabs his shoulder just as he did when he first came onboard, perhaps he had injured it. Both you and Greez look to Cere to answer Cal's question yet again.

"We track Imperial communications. We heard the Inquisitors we're heading to Bracca. So we made our move." You were in charge of communications and intelligence but as hard headed as Cere was she always insisted she 'helped'. Which included her taking over your job, sometimes you didn't mind, she had an ear for it.

"Oh yeah? What's the bounty on Jedi these days anyway?" He spits out, defensiveness oozing from his every pore.

"That's gratitude for ya." Greez exclaims to Cere, pointing an accusatory finger at Cal. You scoff, how ungrateful could you get? You had just saved his sorry ass more times in under an hour than he could probably ever return in a life time.

"Oh please, I wouldn't be all snarky if I were you. You're the one with a bounty on your head, I wouldn't mind turning you in for a pretty credit-" You start only to get cut off by Cere, she sure had a nasty habit of doing that.

"Look I get it. You've been surviving on your own for so long that it's impossible to trust anyone. And it's what's kept you alive. But this is about something bigger... than just surviving." You didn't like being cut off, especially when the other person deserved it, but Cere sure made a point. In a way, you were and still are the same way. You can see yourself in Cal. Maybe you'd let it slide just this once. You huff, not wanting to show Cere that she had won and walk around the holo table to where Greez was perched.

"Like what?" Cal incredulously asked.

"Like rebuilding the Jedi Order." She stated firmly, confident in herself. This was a different version of Cere from the one you had met a little over a year ago now. The broken shell of a women who sought comfort in anyone who could provide it. You had come to terms with the reality of the situation. Forced to mature well beyond your years you had hardened, having your men turn on you and slaughter everyone you loved in their wake would do that to a person. You aren't that wide eyed naive padawan you were all those years ago. You're a woman now, a war criminal, a fugitive. Some would come to call you pessimistic and jaded in your ways, you were just a realist.

Cal looked taken aback, a spark of hope and determination shone in his green eyes. His jaw clenched as he chose he next words carefully.

"You three? Anybody else?" He turned to you and Greez, hope coursing through his veins. To be quite frank, that kind of pissed you off. Were you not enough? After all you did for this kid and he still asked for more? You ground your teeth at the mere thought of it.

"Oh, we're not good enough for you?" You spat defensively against the ginger that stood before you. He elected to ignore you, turning back to Cere again.

"The a Jedi council?" He questioned, desperate to be told everything he wanted to hear. Cere looked down somberly.

"They're gone." At this Cal dropped his broad shoulders, disappointment heavy on his mind. He looked at you.

"Oh. So I'm all you've got." Cal started uneasily. Cere turned to Greez.

"Captain, set a course for Bogano." She simply stated.

"Aye Aye." Greez muttered softly, you placed a hand on his shoulder, letting it drop to your side as you watched him saunter off into the cockpit.

"In the meantime try and relax. Go you're safe... for now." Cere states walking after Greez. Both you and Cal watching her walk away, turning to look at each other.


	3. Part 2

Life on the Mantis wasn't always the easiest, it was actually kind of boring. Nothing to do except talk to Greez when Cere was too busy on the comms. Sometimes you and the Latero would sit at the kitchen, telling stories over meals and having the time of your lives. At first Greez's stories were incredibly entertaining, but there's only so many stories one person could have. So now the days in which stories weren't being shared, consisted of you sleeping to pass the long stretches of time between hyperspace jumps. And today was no different.

You were currently sat at the couch again, your arms laid across the back of the seat and legs crossed. Mulling over what had happened a few hours prior you had completely spaced out again, unaware of your surroundings when suddenly your mind was invaded by thoughts of Cal. He reminded you of yourself, a child lost in the midst of a war. Whose livelihood and innocence was violently ripped away from them, who had to mature much faster than a child ever should. He also reminded you in that even though you were now an adult and a hardened criminal, that deep down you were just a child terrified out of your mind. Soon, anxieties started to flood your mind.

Could you really restore the order? Could Cal? What if the Empire beat you to it? Questions and doubts raced through your mind a mile a minute. Not liking where your mental state was headed you decided to annoy Greez. Still sitting down you yell out to the short creature.

"Greez! Greeeezz!!" A loud clang came from the back of the ship, from where the cabins were and soon out came your beloved pilot.

"What do ya want, kid? Can't you see I'm busy?" He states, his lower set of arms sat comfortably at his hips, the upper set gesturing at you. You grin at him, clearly amused attention fact that you're inconveniencing him.

"Actually no I couldn't, but what I can see, is that I'm bored. Come on sit next to me, what do you think of the newbie?" You scoot over, allowing Greez to sit next to you. As he sits, you can see him think hard on his answer.

"Well I don't really know, just met the kid. He seems ok, like a nice kid ya know?" He explains to you. He had a point, Cal had only been with you for a few hours and now he was in the spare bed dead asleep. Ruffling your hair you shift in your seat uncomfortably. Greez eyes you curiously.

"What's up Y/N? I haven't seen you this off put since, well, ever." Greez moves to look you in the eyes. You shake your head and let out an airy chuckle, you highly doubt Greez could ever understand. How do you confide in your friend that you see a reflection of yourself in Cal. That deep down you doubt Cere and her ambitions, that you doubt yourself and everything you believe in.

"It's nothing Greez, I'm fine. I guess I'm just stressed." You rub your face in irritation. Your eyes suddenly feeling heavy and your shoulders tense. Greez seemingly satisfied with your answer stands up.

"Yeah, alright Y/N. You know I'm always here for ya... I'mma go check on the kid, I think I hear him messin' around back there." He spoke softly. You gave a curt nod, bidding a 'see you later' to Greez. A few minutes later, Greez walked back into the cockpit, Cal close after him. The young red head stops at the small coffee table, eyeing Cere's guitar. Picking it up he sits in the seat adjacent to you, taking a moment before strumming its strings gently, yet expertly. You eye him curiously, how did anyone who grew up on a ship wrecking planet know how to play a guitar? Hearing the tune Cere came out.

"That song... I wrote it, years ago. You touch an object and witness events connected to it. You feel its history." Cere states, looking at Cal with wonder and awe. He shifts in his seat, setting the instrument down gently.

"It's an... echo in the Force from the object." Cal hesitantly starts out.

"Not many Jedi have that skill." Cere sits down close to Cal, feeling like a third wheel you decide to speak.

"Yeah Cal, psychometry is an extremely rare and powerful Force ability. I wish I had something that unique." You tell Cal, moving closer to the pair in front of you on the couch. They snap their heads to look at you, almost as if they had just realized that you were there the whole time.

"How would you guys know that?" The young boy asked wearily, not liking the fact that both you and Cere were poking around his Force connection.

"I was once a Jedi-"

"Padawan." You interjected Cere's sentence, raising a hand as to identify yourself.

"But not anymore." She finishes.

"Do I know you two?" Cal asks, hope laced in his words yet again, just like when he first came on board.

"No. But I knew your Master, Jaro Tapal. He was a true guardian of the Republic." You watched Cere intently, observing her as she reminisced over better times. You and Cere were very different people, you were brash and unapologetic she was patient and serene, yet you could relate to her more than you'd like to admit. You also missed your padawan days, when you were blissfully ignorant to the slowly crumbling world around you.

"He was a hero. Listen... something happened to me during the Purge. I survived, but... my connection the Force is damaged. When I meditate, if I let my guard down, I lose control. It's like I'm in that moment when-" Cal starts, looking back and forth between you and the women next to him, his lip quivering. Obviously uncomfortable with the idea of opening up about his past.

"You survived, Cal. And you're not alone. Not anymore." She looks him straight in the eye, millions of words and emotions being exchanged yet none actually being physically expressed. She looks at you, the look in her eyes softening. Cal's eyes following her line of sight. You offer him a soft, knowing smile in return. Letting him know that another person was on his side.

"We're comin' up on our destination." Greez's gruff voice coming on through the ship's intercom. You look up, in feign acknowledgment that the conversation had not only ended but in acknowledgment of the pilot's words. You all stand up, heading to the cockpit ready to make the final jump to Bogano.

Walking down the ramp with the other two 'Jedi', you take in the view of the beautifully serene planet. The warm and gentle rays dancing on your skin. The Mantis was great for your needs, but being on actual soil for once was nice, even if it was all muddy.

"This is Bogano. A Jedi I knew discovered it before the Purge. You won't find it on any maps." Cere speaks with diligence and preciseness, you always did admire that about her.

"The Empire doesn't know this place exists?" Cal exclaims in disbelief. You couldn't blame him, after all the Empire always did find a way to infect and get their hands on everything.

"No." Cere confirms.

"So? What's the plan? We... hide out here?" He questions, not knowing the full reason as to why you were all here in the first place. Cere turns to look at you, you snap out of your daze, again.

"Oh, sorry..." You mumble, getting the hint you walk up to the pair. "We're done hiding, Cal. Look, you see that structure over there? Well, we believe that Vault holds the key to rebuilding the Jedi Order. But, uh, we kinda need someone whose strong in the Force." You explain to the boy in front of you, your hands poised at your hips.

"And since you're not Jedis anymore, that's why you need me." He spits, implication behind his every word. Cere decides to step in, she was always better with words.

"I know you don't trust us, and I think I speak for both Y/N and I when I say that I'm not really sure we trust you. But we have a common enemy, and a common cause. I'll share more of my plan after you reach the Vault. But, until then, there's someone here I think you should meet." She looks at you knowingly, turning to head back into the Mantis. Guiding you back in with a hand on your upper back.

"May the Force be with you." She comments, not looking back. You however, crane your neck back to meet Cal's eyes. Final farewells being exchanged. As soon as the doors close behind you and the former Jedi next to you, you turn to her.

"You think he's up for it?" You inquire, your anxieties manifesting again. Cere pauses for a brief moment, processing your question. She sighs before meeting your eyes.

"He's my- he's our last option, Y/N. I would've chosen you, but-" She leaves the meaning of her words up for interpretation as she walks away. You knew what she meant, a pang of guilt lashing harshly at your heart.

You could only put your hopes onto Cal now, the fates of every innocent being depending on him.


	4. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know it's been a while but now I'm back and better than ever. I've made some tweaks to Y/N's character, you'll see as the story progresses but shes more true to the "brash and unapologetic" nature. So this fic will take a more of a slow burn and there will be breaks in between the canon story, it won't stray too much from it though so no worries! Hopefully you guys enjoy this part, remember that constructive criticism is welcome! 
> 
> Wattpad:Milky5unfl0wer5  
> Tumblr: MilkedSunflowers

It had been a few hours since you and Cere had sent Cal off on his journey, you had decided to sit on the ramp to simply observe the beautiful wildlife of the unexplored planet. Watching as the furry critters, you had come to discover as Boglings, scurried around the landscape.

You felt at peace with the universe. As if none of the horrible things all those years ago happened. As if there _was_ some hope that the world would go back to normal, whatever normal was anyways.

Suddenly the hatch to the Mantis hissed open causing the Boglings to scamper into the various underground tunnels they had dug out, a slim figure sauntered down the ramp stopping next to you.

Irritated that the sudden appearance of the figure caused the critters to hide you turn around, exhaling heavily in annoyance. Your eyes landed on Cere's face, studying her expressions as to figure out what she could possibly want. Watching her lean against the ship you rolled your eyes and turned back around to stare at the land before you. 

"Is there something wrong? You seem irritated." Cere stated, her caring nature shining through her unwavering person. You processed the words for a minute, deciding whether or not you truly wanted to start an argument with the woman behind you. You scoffed deciding your annoyance was unfounded.

"Nothings wrong C, just you made the Boglings run off." You spoke, resting your head on your knees, fiddling with your shoes below.

She hummed in understanding, nodding her head to look at the horizon. Seemingly zoning out. Both of you sat there for a while in a comfortable silence, watching the furry animals emerge from their dens until yet another disturbance caused them to go back into hiding.

_Could the universe really not give you a chance to watch cute animals play?_

You groaned, throwing your head back like a child. Cere chuckled, shaking her head at your antics then turned her attention to the person before you.

"Congrats Red, you passed the test." You smirked at Cal. A small robot perched on his back peeking it's head out from behind him.

"So you guys knew about BD-1?" He asked, lending you a hand to get up. You swatted his hand away, not needing his help to stand up. Wiping your pants clean from any possible dirt you turned around to head inside the ship.

"Come on board, we'll talk inside." Cere spoke, letting you and Cal walk in before closing the hatch.

"Oh BD-1, this is Greez. Hey, Greez!" Cal chrips, pointing at the Latero. The little robot making a chirp-like sound as it bounced around the lounge area.

"What is that?!" Greez exclaimed, bewildered that an unknown being was messing up his prized ship. BD-1 just beeped and whirred back at Greez, seemingly as if talking back.

"Get off my sofa! Get... get off my sofa! Go! Get outta there, get out!" The stout Latero yelled, chasing and swiping at the robot until it scampered back to Cal. You stood by, your back pressed against the wall and your arms crossed over your chest. Amused at the situation you stifle a laugh.

"Relaxxxx Greez, that's just BD-1 he's with Cal, some type of pet or something." You assured the agitated male before you. He looked at you incredulously and flailed his multiple arms.

"I don't care who he's with. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get oil stains out of potolli-weave fabric?" Greez complained, you rolled your rolls. Both you and Cal mumbled under your breaths as you walked away.

"Not really."

"Ahh, I don't really care."

"Oh, I hope you found something better out there than this droid." He spat as you walked away.

"Oh, calm down Greez. He did." Cere interjected turning to Cal as he took a seat on the steps while you sat on the couch facing him. "Tell us, Cal." You looked at the freckled boy curiously. Cere had already sent you out there to try and open the Vault or atleast figure out what was going on, however you weren't the one. Your lack of force hace forced Cere to find a new Jedi to do the job.

"The Vault was built by an ancient civilization called the Zeffo. A Jedi named Eno Cordova hid something inside of it." He explained. Cere inched closer to Cal with curiosity.

"What did he hide inside?" You asked, sharing the same curiosity as Cere. Cal took a minute to respond leaning in close as if to avoid any eavesdroppers. 

"A holocron from the archives. It contains a list of Force-sensitive children." You smiled lightly, excitedly looking at Cere knowing exactly what this meant. The woman stepped back.

"The next generation of Jedi. I knew it! Ah, Cordova, you old fool." She chirped, a smile stretching across her face. For the first time in a while there was hope, hope that the Jedi order could still come back.

"You knew him?"

"Yes! A long time ago. I was his apprentice. Cordova was a loner. That little droid and I were probably the only ones that know about Bogano." She explained, pointing at the small droid.

"Hold on, wait a minute, wait a minute. A holo what?" Greez questioned, looking more confused than ever. Cere turned to him.

"A holocron. It stores information but only accessible to Jedi. Hang on, I have one around here." She said, marching past Cal and up into the kitchen area. All of you following after her. She quickly turned around and handed Cal a blue cube with intricate designs all over it. "Use the Force." She instructed.

You watched unexpectedly as Cal opened up the Holocron, something you couldn't do. It made you feel inferior, maybe you could've done that if you weren't so broken. With a gasp the cube floated up into the air, opening up to show a holographic message.

'He did it.." You whispered. Though deep down there was a nagging feeling of guilt, that maybe if you could've found this information by yourself you could've brought it back much sooner. A sudden feeling of guilt and insecurity took over the new found hope.

_Why were you so useless?_

"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen..." and with that the message came to an end and the cube closed up and fell back into Cal's hand. The message left a sour taste in your mouth, you felt your throat choke up and tears well up in your eyes.

It took all of your will power to not break down in front of everyone right then and there. You remembered when your master got that message, stationed on Coruscant after the Republic fell. The vivid memories of watching such a beautiful and thriving planet devolve into a corrupt and disgusting place. Assassination attempts and terrorist bombings threatened the Senate constantly. You watched as Palpatine rose through the ranks of power, seizing the throne.

Subjected to watching the politics and culture of your home planet become depraved and perverted, it hurt to remember that, it hurt to remember what came after too. The spiraling downfall of the political climate and what came after matured you beyond your years. Scarring and branding you as a traitor for life. 

The tension in the air thickened, feeling the atmosphere turn sour Cere quickly spoke. "With that list of Force-sensitives... we could rebuild the Jedi Order and defeat the Empire."

"Okay, no problem. Let's get." Greez blurted out.

"Except the holocron is hidden deep inside the Vault and to get it we have to follow Cordova's path. He mentioned something about the planet Dathomir and Zeffo home world." Cal stopped Greez, explaining the complicated topic.

"Alright, well, where are we going? I'm just asking cause I was thinking of maybe making some food."

"Look, before we do anything... I need to know something." Cal claimed, turning to both you and Cere who were perched at the dinner table. "How come you're no longer Jedi?" At that your blood ran cold, but boiled all the same.

_The **nerve.**_

_How dare he, as a former padawan and now Jedi he should know not to ask about something so... **personal.**_

Almost sensing your thoughts the dark skinned woman sitting beside you held your hands, noticing this action you released the tight grip you had your fists in, an action you hadn't noticed that you did. 

"I had an experience that..." She started, finding the right words with which to speak. In a moment of clarity you spoke up.

"You don't have to tell him Cere, whose he to be questioning you, questioning us?" You barked, still insulted that a complete stranger was questioning and poking around your most traumatic experiences. Cere gave you a warm, motherly look. Telling you that it was okay, so you stood by.

"It changed my perspective. So I... cut myself off from the Force." Cere somberly let out, opening herself up to Cal. However, you knew better, she had confided in you long ago about her life in the Order and in a weird twisted way you could relate to the older woman. Turning your attention to the young boy in front of you as he eagerly waited for you story. You stood up, getting close to Cal's face, jamming a gloved finger into his broad chest.

"Don't look at me, Red. I don't owe you _kriffing anything._ You think you can just saunter on in here and demand answers just because you're a Jedi who can use the Force? You're a BLOB, absolute bantha fodder-" You felt 2 pairs of arms pull you back roughly, dragging you into the sleeping quarters of the Mantis. Yelling curses at Cal you got a final glimpse of the extremely hurt look on his face before you rounded the corner. Greez yanked you down harshly whisper yelling at you.

"Woah woah woah, kid! What in the universe was that?!" You scoffed leaning back to try and get out of the short creature's grasp. You rolled your eyes, realizing you weren't going anywhere. 

"Sorry, I don't like it when some random kid fresh off of a ship wrecking planet is asking about why I'm not a Jedi anymore! As if that's any of his business, I mean how can you guys trust him! You don't know if he's working for those bucket heads." You spat at Greez, absolutely turning into a ball of pure rage. The creature before you looked at you with pity.

"Look I get it kid, you're angry, you're hurt but you can't treat people like that. Everyone here has gone through a tough time, just give him a chance. I mean, isn't he the last hope you and Cere have?" You rolled your eyes again, finally starting to calm down, but not giving up. "Fine, fine, don't apologize, but at least be nice to him. If not for your sake do it for Cere. You know what this means for her." You groan loudly and slump your shoulders. Greez knowing he had gotten through to you, released his tight grip on you. 

"I _have_ been nice to him, but I'll try not to cuss him out again." You huffed, completely over this entire situation. Exhaustion sinking its teeth into your body, you just wanted to get this day over with.

Stomping into your sleeping quarters you flopped onto the thin mattress and stared into oblivion. Feeling the ship lurch into hyperspace you sighed, turning over and letting your insecurities and anxiety take over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kriffing: Fuck
> 
> BLOB: Big lump on board
> 
> Bantha fodder : The equivalent of "worthless"; a person or thing deemed to have no value beyond something for a bantha to graze on.


	5. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Hopefully you guys understand what I'm getting at with Y/N's character. Mental illnesses aren't just the romanticized symptoms, they're also the 'toxic' traits that come with them and that's what I'm trying to get at with this character. I'm doing a lot of research to represent PTSD as accurately as I can. Of course remember that everyone experiences it differently, but as always constructive criticism is always welcome here! Again, this is gonna be more slow burn so Y/N won't always be so easily triggered or hostile (not everyone with PTSD is hostile or easily triggered this is just how I've chosen for it to show in her character) and there's going to be a lot more development to her character and experiences. Enjoy!
> 
> Wattpad: Milky5unfl0wer5  
> Tumblr: MilkedSunflowers

You were fatigued, as if every bone in your body had turned into cement and as if you were chained down to your bed.

It had always been hard for you to get up and face the word after the Republic fell, especially now that you had gone off on Cal in front of everyone and had to be scolded like a young child.

You groaned remembering what you had done, rubbing the exhaustion from your face you sat up. Even that had become difficult for you to do. Ever since you had shut out the Force and refused to use it, you began to spiral. Everyday becoming worse and worse.

The fact that Cal had come along and became Cere's new favorite, didn't help. He was everything you were supposed to and wanted to be.

You were just a failure, a shame and a disappointment and by taking out your insecurities on Cal you had just cemented your role as that. You'd never be to Cere what Cal is, you'd just be the second choice, just _there._

If anything you were the BLOB, the bantha fodder, taking up necessary space. Even BD-1, a small droid was more useful than you were, why not just leave, you thought?

Oh who were you kidding, you needed Cere and Greez to survive, you had become attached to them.

You chuckled to yourself. You were born on Coruscant for Maker's sake! You endured and witnessed so much corruption and depravity after the Republic fell. You watched as so many of your soldiers, fellow padawans, and masters were executed in cold blood after Palpatine executed the order that would change the course of the universe for ever.

After being hunted down like an animal by your own soldiers, fled to some random planet and became some lowlife scum among smugglers and thieves, _now_ you needed two random people to survive? It was unbelievable to you that you had managed to lie and cheat your way through life on Numidia Prime, but then you met Cere and Greez. Who, with a few pleas from Cere, managed to turn you into the biggest teddy bear in the universe. If your old colleagues could see you now, they'd laugh and rob you blind on the spot.

Suddenly a knock at the door pulled you from your thoughts, you felt your stomach drop and your blood run cold.

You hoped it was Greez and not anyone else. You couldn't face them any time soon. Feeling your heart wanting to jump out of your chest you swallowed thickly and spoke to the person who knocked through the door.

"uH-uhm, come in!" You stood up, rushing to look as if you were doing something useful with your time and not just laying around. Fiddling with a holopad, tapping random files on it the door slid open. Not looking up you heard them clear their throat. 

"Hey, Y/N..." If there was ever a time you wanted to melt into a puddle and cease to exist it was now. You slowly looked up like a deer in headlights. Suddenly images of Cal's hurt expression flashed through your head, extreme guilt settling into your core. Studying his face you could see his thick brows drawn together in a concerned way, his lips forming a frown. Gripping the holopad tightly you shift your weight.

"Oh, are you busy?" He inquired. Hurriedly, you set the holopad down on your desk. Turning to face him and wringing your fingers.

"No! *Ahem* No, I'm not busy, what's up?" You ask.

"Oh ok, good. Uhm, listen I just wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday, you were right I shouldn't have asked about something like that. i should've known it was a sensitive subject-" 

"My stars, oh no. Cal you don't have to apologize, I may not trust you, but I understand that you didn't trust us either. It was- It was just _messy ._ I was, you know, I-" You cut him off and began explaining, feeling extremely uncomfortable with talking about your feelings. You could see Cal processing what you were saying and he opened his mouth to talk.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I get it, uh, just know- water under the bridge. Uhm, we're on Zeffo you should join us." He suggested, half way out the hatch, desperate to leave the awkward atmosphere. Wanting to do the same you dismissed him with a nod and a wave of your hand. As the door closed you released a breath you were holding for way too long, mulling over the interaction over and over again before deciding that things were okay.


	6. Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh! I was writing this chapter when my computer restarted and the draft didn't save, but as I was gonna say, I am doing a lot of research on the Star Wars universe (plot lines of other canon installments and other planets) as well as research on PTSD to represent it as accurately as possible. Like I always say constructive criticism is always welcome and if you have any info that may be useful for the story feel free to tell me! Enjoy :) 
> 
> Wattpad: Milky5unfl0wer5  
> Tumblr: MilkedSunflowers

The cool air on Zeffo nipped at your exposed skin, making the tip of your nose feel numb. You hadn't expected it to be so cold, the lack of a poncho or warm coat just exacerbated the feeling, yet you were still seated on one of the various cargo boxes outside the Mantis. The stifling atmosphere of the ship made you feel like you were suffocating, the thick tension between you and your crew mates making it so.

_Why did you always have to mess things up?_

You sighed heavily and looked off into the distance, the mountains hiding behind the fog catching your attention. You couldn't believe you had snapped like that, you had always just pushed down any type of emotion or weakness down, with the life you lived it could've gotten you killed. Growing up around thieves and smugglers you quickly learned that anything but selfishness and levelheadedness got you killed, or _worse_. Then again no one had struck a nerve like _he_ did. 

Maybe if you had just gotten over yourself and used the Force you wouldn't have had to deal with all this, with Cal. You spotted a small rock placed almost perfectly upon another crate in front of you, a thought quickly flashed through your head.

_What if I just..._

No.

You couldn't, not after what happened to him. You promised yourself that you wouldn't. It was too dang-

_*Splash*_

The sudden noise of something splashing behind you startled you greatly, of course you had to be outside alone on a planet that had heavy Imperial presence.

Great.

You turned around quickly, feeling around for something on your belts to defend yourself with. Grabbing your blaster you aimed it at the figure responsible for the noise. You were ready to shoot the person without asking questions, something you had picked up in your early years.

Finger on the trigger you caught a glimpse of fiery red hair and a small droid. Realizing who it was you studied them closer. Seeing Cal's wide eyes and raised arms you slowly lower your weapon, averting your gaze back to the rock. 

Seeing you turn back around Cal carefully approached you, swinging his body up onto the cargo box to sit beside you. You eyed him suspiciously. Deciding he was too close for comfort, you inched away from him. After a while of uncomfortable silence and the low whirring of BD-1's machinery he spoke up.

"Soo, that's a cool rock..." He offered, ignoring the small droid when it beeped in response. You scoffed, shaking your head. He was so childish.

"Aren't you supposed to be looking for Cordova or something?" You questioned. Feeling naked as he analyzed and scrutinized your face, suddenly becoming very aware of your unkempt hair and eye bags. Looking at anywhere but his face you found sudden interest in the rock again.

"Back on Bracca I had a friend. After the Purge he was probably the only person I tru-" You rolled your eyes again.

"Listen Kestis, I don't know what you're getting at but just because you share your feelings doesn't mean I'm going to. I know it's water under the bridge for insulting you and all that, but I'm not ready to talk about, that..." You explained to the boy sitting next to you. He hummed.

"Yeah, I get that, but you're going to have to at one point Y/N. I tried hiding from the Empire, but it found me anyways. I... I guess- I guess I'm saying that you can't run from the inevitable. I know it's hard to move on, but you have to... At least try, I have no idea if what we're doing is going to work, but I'm still going to try..." He trailed, you took into account what he said. In a way, you understood what he was trying to say, after all that had happened, you were still here. Trying. After a while of you not responding he sighed, hopping off the box and walking off. You observed him before speaking up.

"What was his name?" He froze, turning around to meet your gaze. Seeing that you were still looking at the rock. 

"Huh?" He asked, the droid beeping curiously behind him.

"Your friend, what was his name?" You watched as his lips curled into a slight lopsided smile.

"Prauf. His name was Prauf." He spoke softly, remembering his friend. You slowly sat up, watching as he turned around and kept walking off.

* * *

As soon as he disappeared from view you sat on your knees, closing your eyes and focusing on your breath.

It had been a while since you last meditated, not wanting to see something you didn't want to. You found it hard to focus on anything. The various noises of the landscape distracting you, after a while of focusing on your breath and clearing your mind you managed to reach a serene state. You felt the Force all around you, flowing in and out of you, in the air and soil. Feeling the Force coursing through your veins and through your very core, you centered in on the energy, making out faint memories and images of your past.

You opened your eyes and found yourself in the middle of a room, rich and expensive looking textiles decorating it. Looking down you discovered you were dressed in padawan robes, quickly you felt your hair and touched the small thin braid, which confirmed your suspicions.

_Were you...?_

Identifying the room as your old sleeping quarters on Coruscant, you stood up, believing you were going crazy. Rummaging around the room for any clue as to what day it was, a voice resonated throughout the room.

You froze, tears threatening to spill, your stomach sank, and your body began trembling.

You recognized that voice.

"Hello young padawan, you've grown since the last time we saw one another." The voice spoke softly. You covered your mouth as to avoid making a noise. Slowly turning around to face the voice, you came face to face with your Master. Looking the exact same as the day he died. The only difference being that he had a blue haze around him, and a slight transparency to him. You let out a gross sob, snot running down your nose and your eyes hot with tears.

"Master?" You saw him smile softly, looking down at you. He reached out, putting a large hand on your shoulder. His touch a missed, yet familiar feeling. You sobbed even harder, crumbling completely beneath your weight.

It was all too much for you to handle, all these complicated feelings rising to the surface and bursting with such intensity that your chest ached and you coughed from lack of air. You rocked back and forth on the floor, gripping your hair tightly begging that none of this was real.

_This can't be real... it can't..._

You gasped for air, feeling as if you were just struck in the chest. Your vision blurry and hazed from the tears. You felt as your Master knelt next to you and held you tight, his own tears dropping down onto you.

"You have to move on Y/N, I'm gone but you're not. It's not too late for you." He spoke, keeping a tough exterior. You shook your head, hitting it with your fists. 

"No no no no no I promised, I promised. I got you killed. I killed you damnit!" You lashed out, ending your sentence in another sob. Pushing your Master away, he shook his head, strengthening his grip on you.

"No you didn't Y/N. I wasn't strong enough to fulfill my duty of protecting you so I paid the price for my failure. It was not your fault- Look at me Y/N." He grabbed your face and looked you in your eyes. His warm, brown eyes boring into yours. Wiping your tears he kept speaking.

"It was not your fault, you were a child. I was reckless and weak. I'm so sorry that I left you behind, you went through so much because of me and I am so incredibly regretful of that my young padawan." He caressed your face, comforting you the way a father would his young child. You sniffled, sobbing harder. You choked on your words.

"But if wasn't for me using my abilities you would still be here-" 

"Y/N we were refugees on a planet teeming with thieves, we would have been found out and betrayed eventually. Please, move on. You have a chance, you have those Jedi on your side." He explained, black strands of his hair falling from his neat hairstyle. Your lip quivered and you wiped your nose with your sleeve. Pushing your head into the soft, thick fabric of his robes. You noticed that he was fading. You looked up in desperation.

"Master? What's going on?" In the back of your head you knew what was happening, your time was up. Others would consider you selfish for wanting more time with your deceased loved ones, but you didn't care you just wanted to stay here.

Before everything went to shit.

"It seems as if our time is up, young one. Please, please try your best-" You interrupted his farewell with a shout.

"NO! Please, don't leave! How will I keep going, please no. I can't take, I don't know how! Please please please..." You pleaded with the man before you, watching as he slowly faded into the background, the room around you crumbling and fading into a void.

You hit the floor pleading with the universe to no do this to you, to give you a few more minutes. You shut your eyes and released more screams and sobs until your voice grew hoarse.

* * *

Your cries died down, only a few whimpers leaving your broken body before you came to the real world. The cold wind reminding you of the harsh reality. Your hair flapped violently as you heard a mechanical rumbling coming towards you, the ground shaking along with the sound.

You slowly pushed off the ground with your arms, a few whimpers leaving you. Feeling your eyes were puffy as you wiped the tears from them, you spotted an AT-ST heading your way. Aiming its weapons at the Mantis. You inhaled sharply as you slid off the cargo box and hid behind it. Hearing the walker fire at the ship you heard Cere over the comm. 

"Cal, we've got a walker firing on us and our weapons are down!" You heard Cal respond.

"Hold on I'm on my way!" You were surprised, on his way already? How long were you out? Deciding you could figure that out later you peeked over the box with your blaster. Aiming at the small window of the pilot you fired, managing to do absolutely nothing to the walker. It turned its attention towards you, firing in your direction. You rolled out of the way of the bolt, narrowly dodging it. You ran across the runway, each bolt getting closer and closer to hitting you until Cal emerged from a doorway and started to fight it.

You watched from behind a box as he bravely fought the AT-ST with his lightsaber. Sparks flying from when the blade collided with the metal of the walker. You felt another pang of insecurity hit you, a wave of jealousy washing over you.

_Even with a blaster I couldn't do anything to the kriffing thing. I'm so useless..._

You were pulled harshly from your thoughts as you saw Cal struggling against the walker. The AT-ST kept firing at him and keeping him from getting to its legs to fight it. You saw as a bolt hit Cal on his leg, BD-1 not being able to give him a stim. Now incapacitated and no longer able to fight properly you ran out of your hiding spot yelling at him.

"Hey metal head! Yeah you! Over here you ass!" You flailed your arms around, gathering the walker's attention. You quickly realized that you were now the center of its attention and now had to run from it as Cal hopefully tried to take it down.

"Oh _kriff..."_ You whispered as it began firing at you, trying to run from it. It released a few bombs, one landing right next to Cal. He tried to get away from it, but having a wound made it hard for him to even move. You bit your lip, trying to figure out a way to get him to safety while trying to also stay alive. Time was running out as the bomb started to flash erratically, indicating it was ready to burst. Between you and Cal stood the walker.

_I can't run to get him the kriffing droids in the way..._

_He can't move..._

_Oh no the bombs about to go off, he's gonna die!_

_I can't let another person die, I can't kill another one-_

You extended your arm in desperation.

"NO!"

You felt as a powerful energy ripped through your body and watched as the bomb flew up and collided with the machine, making it explode. The AT-ST's cockpit exploded, the legs collapsing and toppling over. You stood there, rooted to your spot with shock. Your hand still stretched out.

_Did you just...?_

The smoke coming from the rubble of the walker cleared, catching Cal's gaze you snapped out of your trance. Jogging over to where he was with a new found energy coursing through you, you threw Cal's arm over your shoulders and grabbed his waist to give him stability. You both ignored what had happened and walked into the ship together.


	7. Part 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am on a roll!! About 3-4 chapters in two days? Wow can't wait to disappear for another 5 months until I get the motivation to start again >:) Anyways hope you guys enjoy this chapter!!
> 
> Wattpad: Milky5unfl0wer5  
> Tumblr: MilkedSunflowers

Stumbling into the ship you steadily sat Cal on the couch, careful not to hurt him. He hissed as he hit the couch, BD-1 quickly jumping onto his lap, worried about his friend's health.

"Don't worry BD, I'm gonna be okay." Cal stokes the droid, calming it down. You paid no mind to the pair, only focusing on tending to the boy's wounds and too distracted by what had just happened to talk. Carefully pulling the gauze tight over the wound you applied some ointment and finished up dressing the area. Checking around to make sure there weren't any other injuries you sat back and sighed, releasing a breath you didn't know you were holding.

"You moof-milker, how the kriff did you get shot in the leg?" You rubbed your face, the adrenaline in your system wearing off and the fatigue seeping back into your bones. Fixing your hair, you watch as the boy in front of you just shrugged, offering you a sheepish smile. You scoffed at his childish action, getting up to head into the cockpit. You walked past Cere and Greez, sitting in the co-pilot seat. Sinking into the plush chair you look at Greez.

"Nice work out there, kid. Hey, you got some real moves on ya. Ha!" Greez congratulated you. "Just tell me that this visit wasn't for nothin'." He added seriously. You rolled your eyes, pressing buttons to fire up the ship to leave.

"I found the tomb of a Zeffo Sage. They definitely used the Force." Cal stated, now leaning against the doorway. You swiveled your chair to face him, as did your companions.

"An advanced civilization of Force wielders who mysteriously vanished. No wonder Master Cordova became so obsessed with them. What else did you find?" Cere spoke up. Cal moved to the extra chair in the cockpit, having a hard time sitting down because of his injury. 

"Before they disappeared, the Zeffo journeyed to the planet Kashyyyk." As soon as Cal said that Greez groaned. You elbowed him, giving him a side eye. Turning back to Cal, he continued. "Cordova had a Wookie friend named Tarfful. Maybe we can find him?" As soon as he finished you turned back around and faced the screens in front of you.

"Kashyyyk, I-look, things are really bad down there. The-the Empire's muscling in on those Wookies big time." Greez explained, hoping to persuade the boy. You saw Cal's face drop, getting ready to defend himself. You elbowed Greez again.

"Then we better get ready for a fight." You smirked, typing on the systems in front of you. Greez looked at you slightly offended, but stayed quiet nonetheless. Cal's face lit up, then stood and headed to the kitchen, Cere going after him.

You slowly stopped typing, staring off into the distance.

"I used the Force." You said out loud, making Greez turn to you.

"You _what?_ " He asked incredulously, he knew that you cut off from the Force.

"Y e a h, I know. I used the Force, and it felt _great._ " You confessed. It did feel great, you felt a type of confidence you never before. You also felt more connected to the Force than ever before. You were about to keep talking before Cere and Cal walked back into the cockpit. BD-1 hopping up onto your terminal, beeping away.

"What? What's that thing saying? I don't know why people have droids." Greez quickly said, changing the subject. You chuckled reaching out to pet the droid, making sure it didn't fall as the ship lifted up. 

"Tell that to him, he can understand you." Cere playfully stated. Greez looked at the droid.

"He can?!" The droid replied in a series of beeps. You laughed.

"Look, I didn't mean anything by it. Droids just freak me out." He defended, not wanting to look like an ass.

"What doesn't. You sound like an Imp. They deactivate droids just because they can. That makes him one of us." The woman scolded. You sat back and watched as the two bickered, the occasional interjection of the droid adding humor to the situation. You saw Greez's embarrassment and chuckled.

"Hm. Oh. Tough break. I take it back. You're alright, buddy." He claimed, ashamedly taking back his previous statement on droids. You shook your head as you laughed.

Jumping into hyper space you settled into the plush leather chair, watching the stars fly by at light speed. After a few minutes. a comfortable silence fell over the ship, only occasionally being interrupted by noises from BD-1 or the ship itself. You enjoyed moments like these, it was as if you finally had peace.

Coming up on Kashyyyk you saw the various Imperial battleships forming a blockade around the planet. You could barely make out the lush vegetation of Kashyyyk. It made you sick how entitled the Empire was. They always festered and infected anything they got their hands on, they were a plague, monsters in your opinion.

"Woah. Tell me we're not running that blockade." You asked, concerned that the Mantis wouldn't be able to get you out this situation like it always did.

"Oh only as a last resort. I've rigged the Mantis' transponder to transmit Imperial signals. Hey, Greez."

"Yeah?"

"Keep your power supply low and act like we belong."

"Just like Bracca, no sweat."

You reached up to pull a lever, but Greez smacked your hand harshly. He looked at you as if you had grown three heads, you only returned his looked with an insulted one.

"I don't need another set of hands. Just please keep you eyes on the scanners. Please?"

"Alright, alright." You defended, rolling your eyes at the control freak.

"Alright."

You looked closely at your scanners, searching for anything at all, yet you found nothing. It was radio silent.

"Hey, I don't see anything." Cal agreed with you, both turning to Cere for an explanation.

"They're preoccupied with something on the ground... We're clear."

Cruising near the planet you got a closer look at the flora and fauna, you also got a closer look at what exactly the Empire was doing on Kashyyyk. They were draining the life out of the planet, they had destroyed the architecture of the Wookies. You couldn't even begin to imagine what the Wookies went through when the Empire first landed. Especially since you heard from word of mouth that they weren't as technologically advanced as the Empire.

_What sick kung._

"That doesn't look good." Cal muttered, seeing the extensive damage that had been done by the Empire.

"The Empire is devouring Kashyyyk for its natural resources. Wookies have been enslaved... or displaced." She somberly stated, looking at him sadly. You scoffed, it made furious that the Empire was so evil and vile. 

Suddenly a TIE fighter flew by the Mantis a smaller war ship chasing after it. It startled both you and Greez, who yelled at you.

"That was a close one, kid! Aren't you supposed to watching the monitors?" You jumped to action, quickly flipping through them, not wanting anymore unwanted attention.

"Guerrilla fighters! Wookies and off-worlders ambushing an Imperial convoy." You analyzed.

"Walkers approaching their position." Cere announced. You swiveled towards Cal, who already seemed to be thinking the same as you.

"Tarfful could be with them." You offered, only cementing the same thought as Cal.

"Tarfful would be anywhere! Like deep in the ground, like we're gonna be if we get caught up in the battle down there." Greez yelled, focusing on keeping the ship steady.

"We don't have any options, and... and they'll die without our help." Cal rationed, still locking eyes with you. Both Greez and Cere looked at each other, like two parents deciding what to do with their children.

"So what's your plan?" Cere inquired, obviously worried. Still looking at Cal you smirked.

"Sabotage." He looked at you surprised, he didn't expect you to want to join him, you were trying to get rid of him up until then. He smirked back though.

"We used to scrap walkers on Bracca. We'll just jack one." He schemed, getting up and walking out, you and BD-1 hot on his trail. Greez laughed.

"Ha! Get a load of these kids. They think we're back in the clone wars!" Cere looked at us, a sort of prideful look in her eyes watching you join the fight.

"Captain, get us near those walkers." She stated, following both you and Cal to the hatch, leaving Greez confused in the cockpit. "Listen, those walkers double as troop transports so once you get inside... be careful. Especially you Y/N." She warned, taking a special interest in you. Which she had never done, or at least it seemed that way up until now. 

You walked down the ramp first, BD-1 on your back. You gulped as you looked over the edge, the dark water looking foreboding and menacing. That familiar sinking feeling returning. You heard Cere and Cal exchanging a few words.

"Hey, do me a favor. Keep them safe for me?" She asked, Cal just smirked back.

"I'll add it to the plan." He joined you on the ramp, holding onto you.

"Alright, if you're jumpin' you better do it now, kids!" You heard Greez yell back at you. You looked at Cal as a devilish smirk made it's way onto his face. 

"You ready for a swim, Y/N?" He pushed you before jumping himself. Yelling a cheer as you screamed your head off before colliding with the dark water.

* * *

You opened your eyes under water, not being able to spot BD-1 or Cal anywhere, beginning to panic you felt an arm pull you up to the surface of the water. Various twigs and leaves stuck in your hair, you looked around taking the debris out of your hair and spotted the young boy and droid.

"Damnit Kestis! Why the hell did you push me off the ramp?!" You exclaimed trying to smack him as he held you back.

"Come on, we gotta swim towards those walkers, we don't have time for this." He chuckled as you gave up trying to smack him. You rolled your eyes, starting to swim towards the tall machinery. A ship flew overhead the walker before it got shot down and hit the water near you. You quickly swam away from it.

"That was close." Cal stated, BD-1 beeping back. As you swam closer to the walker you started looking for a way up, looking at the overgrown vines crawling all over the walker. 

"I wonder how we get inside." You asked, the small droid answering back. You didn't understand what it said, though.

"Yeah. Lets try the leg." Cal translated for the droid.

_Guess growing up on a ship-wrecking planet helps you learn how to speak droid..._

Getting closer to one of its legs you grabbed onto one of the thick vines, slowly making your way up the leg, Cal close behind you. You struggled heavily as your hands slipped on the slick vegetation, your feet missing the ledges, swinging yourself sideways and trying not to fall. By the time you made your way to the top of the walker you were covered head to toe in mud and other types of muck. Slowly sneaking up behind a Stormtrooper with your knife in hand, a laser came out of no where and took out the Imp. You stood there, rather dumbfounded.

"Well that was easy." Cal chuckled, took your hand and jumped into the hatch. You both hit the metallic floor with a thud, looking for a way to progress through the machine. Searching around the dark area you found a way down, you discovered a tight space between the wall and flooring. Progressing down you made your way into a tight crawl space. The red lighting and tightness suffocating you, steam hissing into the crawl space from pipes causing you to start to overheat.

Finding a hatch, Cal slowly pushed it up, spying on the troopers who were reporting a fatality through the crack. Looking at each other, you both jump up. Catching the attention of the Stormtroopers you took aim at the nearest one, not hesitating to shoot him. You heard as Cal sliced through the second one with his lightsaber, the weapon making a buzzing sound as it moved through the air. Feeling a presence behind you, you swung the butt of your blaster quickly taking out the last enemy. You blew the smoke from your blaster and smirked at Cal. He looked at you oddly.

"Why don't you use the Force? You used it back on Zeffo." You averted your gaze, holstering the gun. He took it as a sign to back off walking to the door in front of you. The doors slid open to reveal the cockpit, you went in after Cal, hearing the pilots communicate back and forth.

"Reading a new ship on scanners!"

"They brought more firepower than we thought." You knocked into the wall as the walker shifted.

"How's our hull looking?" Both you and Cal stealthily entered the cockpit.

"Badly damaged. We're at 70% integrity and falling." You each took your place behind each pilot, signalling to one another to stay quiet."

"That should be enough to storm out these insurgents. Keep us steady!"

1...

2...

3...

BD hopped onto the main console, surprising the troopers as you and Cal bashed their heads together, knocking them out instantly then taking their seats. Slipping into the co-pilots chair you started pushing buttons.

"Can't believe that actually worked." Cal laughed, you chuckled as BD whirred in agreement."Okay, uh, throttle..." He started mumbling, pressing random buttons, trying to figure out how to pilot the AT-AT. Suddenly a hologram of a trooper popped up.

"Report! What's happening over there? You're in violation of Imperial Protocol Z-207. Stand down or we won't he-" You groaned loudly, drowning out the sound of the Imp's voice.

"Can you shut that guy up?" Cal asked, not bothering to look up from the console beneath him. You gladly accepted his request and using the butt of your blaster to smash the communicator. You look at the freckled boy next to you.

"Better?"

"Better." He replied quickly. Suddenly the walker fired up, its systems lighting up and shifting from side to side. Causing you to jostle around in your seat before holding on. Cal looked at you with a big, goofy grin spread across his face. He devilishly laughed in your direction. "Lets do this." Looking back out the wind shield you saw another walker aim in your direction, and started firing at you. Causing you to jolt forward and back harshly in your seat. You shot a glare in Cal's direction, turning back to the joy sticks in front of you, you aimed at the walker and started rapid firing. Making the vehicle you were in violently shake, yet effectively taking down the enemy. Cheering as the walker toppled over, you high-fived BD-1.

"That's outta the way." Cal announced, bracing himself for another enemy to pop up. Cal's driving skills weren't the absolute best, evident as how both you and him were getting whiplash and thrown around every time the walker moved in the slightest. 

"Hey, Red! Mind keeping this damn thing steady? I can't aim if you can't drive!" You shouted over the loud noise of the blasters and exploding enemy convoys. Nearing the shore, a dark skinned man in heavy, war armor landed on the wind shield, knocking on the glass with his fist.

"Hey! Who are you?" The man yelled over the noise. Cal stopped the AT-AT, making you lurch forward in your seat.

_Why didn't these things have any seat belts?_

"Someone who just brought an AT-AT to the table. Who are you?" Cal questioned back, you readied your blaster in case the man tried anything. Narrowing your eyes onto him.

"Someone making the Empire angry." He stated, dodging a stray bolt that hit the walker. "We're advancing on an Imp landing pad up ahead, wouldn't mind the fire support."

"Copy that." You sneered at that man, your gut and everything in your body screaming at you to not trust him. Then again, the same happened with Cal. As the man flew off again you spat, "Let's make 'em even angrier." 

Taking aim again, the walker fires up and starts firing at any Imperial property. It was oddly therapeutic for you to release all your anger on Imperial property. The very thing that had taken everything from you. 

Slowly the machine started sustaining more damage, the interior started sparking, the glass started cracking, and the walker started to lose balance. Making it harder for you to focus on aiming. You came upon an airship, firing canons into it eventually taking it down. However, the damaged aircraft was headed for your direction. You looked at Cal for any type of plan. He simply stared back at you.

"It's headed for us. Can you do anything?" You stared back at him.

"Seriously?! You're the one with the Force!" Yelling at him as BD-1 also beeped at him. The ship crashed into the machine roughly, sending you flying out of your seat and onto the floor. Cal lurching from side to side, trying to keep the walker from crashing. You clawed at the seat, somehow managing to stabilize yourself just in time to see the walker collide with the ground.

You hit the floor roughly again, then slid down onto a metal wall, hitting your head as you collided with the hard surface. Sitting up, you held your head. Feeling a hot, sticky liquid pouring out from the back of your head you looked around the cockpit.

"Ugh, Red? You good? I hit my head _really_ hard." You muttered, the throbbing pain giving you a strong headache. You were sure you had gotten a concussion at the very least. Standing up you felt every ache in your body.

_I'm gonna feel this for weeks..._

"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay, and you? You look like you went at it with Oggdo Bogdo." Cal teased, taking a look at your injury. BD chirped, as if agreeing with the red head.

"Oh switch off, rust bucket!" The droid hid behind Cal as you yelled at it. 

"Hey! Don't say that to BD!" Cal whined as he gave you the clear. "Anyways, that cut doesn't look too deep but you should get it looked at. Come on, I'll help you out." He opened the latch and pulled himself out of the walker, lending a hand to you and pulling you up. You managed to crawl out of the machine, the brightness of a nearby fire and the sunlight made you cover your eyes. You heard BD-1 say something, but couldn't understand.

"No, we are not doing that again." 

_What a homicidal little droid..._

Cal hopped off the fallen AT-AT, helping you down onto the floor gently as you shielded your eyes from the offensive light. Holding the back of your head you managed to look up away from the ground, growing accustomed to your surroundings. The man from earlier approached the three of you, causing all the hairs of your body to stand.

"You just wrecked a perfectly good walker."

_Was he serious? You just saved him from getting killed by those troopers..._

The man approached, inching closer to you and Cal. You put your hand on your waist, ready to grab any needed weapon from your various holsters and belts. You eyed him suspiciously, you had never seen such strange armor before. Everyone either worse robes or the armor you had seen average Stormtroopers and Mandalorians wear.

"Got a name?" He extended a hand.

"Cal Kestis."

"Y/N L/N."

Cal accepted the gesture. You didn't, you simply waved, now shifting your hand from your head to your side. You were sure you had a rather large bruise there.

"Saw Gerrera. What are you doing on Kashyyyk?" Saw asked, walking with the both of you to the near by Imperial base. Cal eyed him, deciding to answer a little to eagerly for your taste.

_The enemy of your enemy did **not** make a friend._

"Looking for somebody. What are you doing here?" You answered for Cal.

"My companions and I came to Kashyyyk to disrupt Imperial supply lines." Before you could interrupt and say something snarky, the Mantis flew over head. As it was landing you and Cal flagged it down, letting Cere and Greez know you made it. Heading towards the ship the two men kept exchanging conversation.

"So, who are you looking for?" Gerrera asked.

"A Wookie Chieftain named Tarfful." At this Gerrera stopped walking, looking at Cal as if he was completely crazy. You didn't blame him.

"Tarfful is impossible to find. There's a reason he's evaded the Empire this long." You also didn't blame Tarfful. No one wanted to die, especially not at the hands of such monsters.

"He's a freedom fighter?" You asked, sort of shocked that a leader would risk their life for their people. The only leaders you had come to see in your life time were corrupt political officials that would back stab you at the drop of a hat.

Gerrera motioned at a partisan in the distance. "He's THE freedom fighter. A symbol of the Wookie resistance, striking at the Empire from the Shadowlands." As he finished his sentence you saw as your crew mates walked down the ramp. Cal stood between them and Gerrera. You stood a little ways behind.

"Hm. Cere, Greez. This is Saw." Greez was the first to speak.

"How ya doin'?" Classic Greez. Saw ignored Greez, turning his attention back to the red head. You moved to stand next to Cere, still holding your side but remaining vigilant.

"What do you want with Tarfful?"

"Jedi Business." You stated, an edge to your words. Saw side-eyed you.

"The Jedi are dead." He claimed. Cere stepped up, ready to defend.

"Not all of them." You and Cal presented your lightsabers. Saw looked rather unimpressed, like he'd seen this act before.

"You get that off a corpse?"

_The kriffing nerve of this outlander..._

_"_ Excuse you? Who the he-" Cere had stepped on your foot to keep you from speaking. Holding in the pain you hunched over slightly. Cal put away his lightsaber.

"My master gave it to me." This shut the man up, seeing as he decided to change the subject.

"This pad supports an Imperial refinery that runs on Wookie slave labor. Intel suggests that some of the captives there are guerrilla fighters." Gerrera explained, Cal's eyes lit up.

"We should help them." He immediately said.

"Correction, _you_ should help them." You interrupted, raising a brow.

_Did he forget that I'm basically dead because of the walker?_

Cal ignored you, continuing to talk, "One of them might know how to contact Tarfful." You supposed he was right, but he was still risking himself on the off chance that one of the Wookies knew where Tarfful was.

"It's possible." Saw added.

"Wooaaah, wait a minute, hold on, wait a minute. The Mantis works wonders, I mean it's a great ship, excellent pilot, but it is not built for close support." You rolled your eyes at Greez's boasting. 

"We'll stay here and monitor Imperial transmissions. With a bit of luck we'll intercept any distress calls" You thanked the Maker, finally something that you could do that wouldn't bring you anxiety or death.

"'preciate it. My lieutenants and I will scout ahead and prepare the attack. Join us when you're ready. Go. Go." He finished as he walked off. His stance exuding confidence. You turned back to the team.

"Glad you're alright." Cal expressed.

"Yeah, yeah good to see you too. This place is a dump." You lightly laughed at Greez's mumbling and whining.

"Your plan worked. And now you want to follow Saw?" Cere questioned, probing Cal's mind on what he was planning to do next.

"What do you think of Saw's plan?" He countered.

"He's fighting a losing battle. I doubt freedom for the Wookies is his only goal." You agreed with Cere here. Off-worlders leaving their planet to fight a losing battle? Suspicious is what you called it. Especially when it came to fight off the Empire. Though Cal didn't seem to think of it that way. He shrugged.

"He seems trustworthy." Cal defended Saw.

"Just because he seems that way doesn't mean he is, Red. I thought years of hiding from the Empire would have taught you to not to trust so blindly. Watch yourself around him, I don't trust him or his cause." You warned the boy.

"Plus it's the Empire we're talking about, they'll fight dirty if they see themselves cornered, stay alert." You added, handing him a knife. "Here, take this. You can't always rely on just your lightsaber. Keep it safe, it's important to me." He eyed the knife carefully, studying the intricate details on it before adding it to his tool belt.

"So you're really not coming with me?" You shook your head, gesturing to your head. He understood, giving you a grin before walking away.

"I really spoiled him by going on that AT-AT, huh?" You asked, your eyes still trained on Cal's retreating figure.

"Yeah, I didn't expect you to take such a risk, Y/N. Come inside, you're hurt." Cere said, guiding you inside with a hand on your back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moof-milker: A term for a dimwitted individual.  
> Kung: This was Huttese for "scum,"  
> Off-worlders: This term was used to address someone from a different planet  
> Imp: Slang term for "Imperial.


	8. Part 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wattpad: Milky5unfl0wer5  
> Tumblr: MilkedSunflowers

Sighing, you shifted uncomfortably on the chair you were currently sitting on. Cere was currently looking for medical supplies to tend to the wound at the base of your skull. You weren't all too excited to have her put alcohol in that area. Shuddering at the thought, you parted your hair, allowing for a better view of the injury.

You had insisted that you were fine, trying to avoid Cere creating a massive fuss over a small cut. Not that you didn't enjoy the attention, of course. However, the woman saw right through you, pointing out the fact that the blood had now soaked your white shirt. Groaning and whining like a small child, you perched yourself on a kitchen chair, waiting for Cere to tend to you.

Watching as she neared the back of your head, a disinfectant saturated gauze in hand, you whimpered. Truly not wanting to feel the stinging pain of the liquid as it touched the sensitive skin.

Bracing yourself for the pain you felt it. The searing, stinging pain shooting through your skin. The skin on your knuckles had turned white from how hard you were gripping the table, your jaw clenched tightly as to avoid making any noise, and eyes screwed shut.

Cere smacked her lips, "It cannot be that bad. Stop acting like a child, Y/N. See? I'm already done." You peeled your eyes open, quickly realizing that she had, in fact, already finished. 

Turning around, feeling the area, you looked at her. "Wow, you have a light hand. And you're quick. You even gave me stitches." She laughed at you, quickly organizing the medical kit.

"Well, yes. That cut looked pretty ugly, any longer and it could have gotten infected." She explained, moving to take a seat next to you at the kitchen table. You fiddled with your fingers nervously.

_Now would be a good time to ask her about how long you were out..._

You cleared your throat, finding it difficult to speak. Cere looked at you, concern etched onto her features.

"What's wrong? Did I miss an injury?" She asked, looking you once over again. You waved your hands, indicating that it wasn't the case.

Swallowing thickly you spoke up, "Hey C, back on Zeffo, how long was I outside?"

"A few hour. Maybe half a day, actually. Why?" She answered, still concerned. 

_Half a day?_

You looked back at her, disbelief evident on your face. It felt as if you weren't even out for half an hour, let alone over half a day. It truly dumbfounded you, how could that happen? Cere looked at you, taking your hand into her own. You leaned into her touch.

So much had happened in the span of a week, you hadn't had much time to process much of anything. Especially not what happened on Zeffo. You had broken a life-long promise, you had used the Force to protect Cal. Everything you had held onto, you shattered for Cal.

_How could someone you hadn't even spoken to all that much, shatter all your life views?_

What had really pushed you over the edge was seeing your master again, it made you feel so guilty to jack that AT-AT with Cal and momentarily forget what took place mere hours prior. 

_Did he really mean that little to you?_

"Y/N? What's wrong?" Cere asked. Her question interrupting your thought process. 

Looking up at her, you stared into her warm, brown eyes. Your lip quivered as tears threatened to spill. Squeezing her hand you spoke, "Cere, I'm scared. I'm so scared- back on Zeffo- I did something.."

Confessing just made the older woman all the more concerned. Resting her other hand on your shoulder, she spoke again. "What happened? What did you do?"

"When I was out there, Cal talked to me. He said something that made truly- truly made me think about what I'm doing with my life. So I- I meditated." You sniffed, wiping you nose with your sleeve.

"I saw something, in the Force, I mean. Cere, I saw Master Whydall. We were on Coruscant, and he was blue and... and... he told me to move on. It was all _so_ confusing. After a while, I woke up and that walker was there. When it threw that bomb, it was gonna kill him. It was gonna kill Cal." You continued, tears flowing freely by then. 

Taking a moment to calm yourself, hiccuping in between in sobs. "Uhm- I got so scared, I-I used the Force to explode the walker. Cere- I don't know what happening." You finished, finally breaking down in gross sobs. A tightness in your chest.

Cere rubbed your back, at a loss for words. Watching helplessly as you sobbed into your hands. A few minutes passed by when she finally found the words to speak. 

"It seems as if the Force is calling out to you. If Master Whydall's Force ghost is reaching out to you, then maybe it really is time." You rubbed your eyes, looking up at Cere.

"But- but what if I miss up, C? What if I fail and the Empire catches me- what if I-" You started to freak out.

"You won't." Cere assured you, a sternness in her voice.

You hiccuped, "How do you know that? I'm not ready Cere, it's too hard."

"It is only hard if you make it hard, Y/N. If Alehum went out of his way to contact you, then I think you're ready. No one is born knowing everything, but you are born with a destiny you are to fulfill. And if this is your destiny, then so be it. Trust. The. Force." She explained, sharing her wisdom with you.

Slumping your shoulders you thought on what Cere was telling you. Thoughts raced through your head,

_What if the Empire captured you?_

_What would happen to your friends?_

_Where would you even start?_

You didn't even know how you managed to save Cal, let alone fulfill your destiny.

_What ever that meant..._

You sat back in your chair, wiping your tears away. Maybe Cere was right, but it would take a while for you to even begin to feel comfortable with the idea. You groaned, why did life have to be so hard? You looked at your friend.

"Maybe you're right, but where would I even start? It's hard for me to even meditate, let alone actually use any of my Force abilities." Cere smiled.

"That's not my job to figure out, you better get on it." She teased, getting up and walking away. 

Getting up from your seat, you trudged towards your quarters. A shower sounding like absolute heaven to you.

* * *

You carefully stripped your clothing, wincing at any movement that would would cause you even the slightest pain. Reaching through the curtains you turned on the hot water, that would soothe your aching muscles.

Turning to the small mirror in the even smaller bathroom, you stared at your appearance.

_Oh stars, did you look rough._

Your body was littered with bruises, the blue and purple patches slowly turning darker with each passing moment. Your hair messy and matted with blood. Looking at your face you saw the dark circles under your eyes, making you look exhausted.

Examining your face further, you took note of the blood on your lip. Something you had acquired during the crash earlier. The various, now faded scars that adorned you face giving you a rugged and rough look.

_How long had it been since you had done some self care?_

Deciding you had enough of looking in the mirror you jumped in the shower, the hot water instantly relaxing you. Scrubbing away at the muck and grime of the day you thought about what Cere said, it made your head hurt to think that you were seriously considering such an idea. You would need a few more days to make your decision, it wasn't easy to go against everything you believed in.

Moving onto your hair you raked your fingers through it, making sure to get rid of any knots and working the shampoo through it. Rinsing out the product you stayed in the water, just enjoying the water running down your back.

_*BANG* *BANG*_

You jumped at the loud sound coming from the door, not expecting such a loud sound. You peeked your head out the curtain, ready to yell at whoever interrupted your relaxation time.

"You're using up all the water, Y/N!! The rest of us still need to use it!" You heard Greez yell through the door angrily, knowing he was serious since he used your name. You rolled your eyes angrily.

"Go away, Greez! I was the one who jacked an AT-AT, not you!" You yelled back, shutting off the water and stepping out. Drying your wet skin.

You could hear Greez shuffling around, "Fine, fine. Just hurry up, I made some grub." Hearing this, your ears perked up. 

_You **were** pretty hungry..._

Quickly slipping on clean clothes, you opened the door to your room, rushing to pull on your boots and gloves. Looking in the mirror once more you brushed your hair, deciding to let it air dry and yanked on your goggles, the gear resting atop your head.

As the door opened you were hit with the sweet aroma of your friend's cooking, letting your nose guide you to the kitchen you grabbed a plate. The Latero looked you up and down, taking in your new appearance.

"You look spiffy, kid." He commented. The last time you had stopped by a market you bought a new outfit, flaunting your new leather vest and luxurious pants, you struck a pose. The clothing making you feel confident. 

"Don't get jealous, Greezy." You smirked, shoveling food into your mouth. He rolled his eyes, turning back to his own plate. Scarfing down the rest of your food, you handed the dirty plate to Greez, getting a dirty look in return.

Walking into the cockpit where Cere was stationed at the comms, you gingerly sat in your chair. Swiveling it to look at the woman. Cere smiled as you slid a headset over your head.

"You seem happier, confident even." She stated, leaning back. You rolled your eyes playfully, turning your attention to the monitors of your station.

"I have no idea what you could possible mean, C. I only took a shower." You teased, flipping through the radars and screens trying to intercept any Imperial calls.

"Hmm, I see. So I take it that you're going to take me up on my idea?" You frowned, the joy you once held being sucked out of you.

"Woah, woah, woah. I didn't say that, Cere. Just because I listened to your speech doesn't mean I'm all of a sudden going to become a Jedi. Give a me a minute." You told her, still working in your space.

Before the woman could react an alert came up on one of her screens. A little 'ding' coming from it. You turned towards her, curious as to what happened.

She lightly touched her headset, "I've been monitoring Imperial communications and I picked up something. Project Auger has been reactivated. The Empire may be close to finding another Zeffo Tomb." 

"Looks like we still have work to do." You heard Cal respond, BD-1 adding onto the statement. With that the communication cut out. 

You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose, "The Empire just doesn't quit, huh?" Cere gave you a look before heading outside to meet up with Cal, you following after her.


	9. Part 8

The air was hard to breathe in, ash and other debris polluting the air. You pulled up your scarf over your nose, effectively blocking out the harmful particles. Spotting Cal and BD-1 as they made their way over to the Mantis, you crossed your arms.

"Hey guys." Cal greeted.

Cere nodded her head in acknowledgement, "Cal, good to see you back in one piece. Mari Kosan contacted us. We know you couldn't find Tarfful."

"I love risking our lives for nothing. It's fantastic." Greez mumbles, obviously unhappy with the results of Cal's expedition. Cal turned his attention to him.

"It wasn't for nothing. Mari and Choyyssyk will come through." He stated, optimism laced his words. You admired that about him, optimist and hopeful even in the face of evil.

"Like your optimism, Red. We could all use a little of that." You complimented.

Greez eyed you, "Hey, I'm a positive guy, too. I'm positive that if I die, I'll be very upset." You scoffed.

"Yeah, very positive, alright." Cere ignored the both of you, continuing her conversation with Cal.

"You did good, Cal. We might not've found Tarfful yet, but you saved lives today. Don't forget that." The boy thanked Cere, following you as you entered the ship again.

He approached the hototable.

"Yeah, now you're thinking. Let's get outta here." You playfully smacked Greez's head as you walked past him. You watched as Cal set a course for Zeffo, you eyed him weirdly.

"Back to Zeffo, huh?"

"The Empire might have found a Zeffo Tomb. We can't waste any time." Cere responded, urgency in her voice. You shrugged, taking your place and putting on your headset again. 

Greez smacked his lips, "Pity. Heard about a high stakes game from one of Saw's fighters. A few extra credits couldn't hurt, y'know?" You smiled, typing away at your console.

"Oooh, sounds fun. Maybe once all this is over we can play a few games." You offered, Cere gasped.

"Gambling?! Greez, Y/N, use your heads. One of these days the Haxion Brood is going to catch up with you." You covered you mouth.

"Oop-" You looked between the pair. You never left any loose ends, you knew that if you did it would just come back to bite you in the ass later.

Greez laughed, "Those slubs? I'll hear 'em coming from a parsec away." 

"Yeah? I seriously doubt that one, Greezy." You teased, still typing away and looking at the scanners.

Cere scoffed and rolled her eyes, "I don't need you guys' gambling habit causing us more trouble with murderous criminal syndicates." She scolded like a mother.

"You're right, I know. Just wanna blow off some stress every once in awhile, y'know? Anyways, all of that is in the past. I'm sure it won't be a problem." As soon as he said that you just had this feeling that he had jinxed it for everyone. It's like saying "How could this get any worse?" and it getting worse.

* * *

The ship jumped out of hyper space and came up on Zeffo, landing on the same runway strip as the last time. The white snow glimmering in the light. You hooked on your belts as Cal opened the door to the outside.

"You're coming?" 

You smirked, hooking your lightsaber onto your hip. "And let you have all the fun? No way, Red. Plus you'll need someone to save your ass." You stated, playfully punching his arm.

Waving goodbye to Cere and Greez, you started your journey with Cal.

* * *

The landscape was barren, only the occasional Scazz getting in your way. Which Cal swiftly got rid of.

Crossing a pipe you spoke into your comm, "No Stormtroopers here either. Must've cleared out to search for the tomb."

"That's good for us, but the caves will be crawling with them. I'll do what I can to monitor their movements." Cere explained, she was right. Though you supposed it was rather redundant of the Empire to do so, they were just asking for anyone to sneak right past them.

_Maybe that was the plan..._

Ever since leaving Kashyyyk you had a pit in your stomach, everything seemed suspicious to you. You chalked it up to your anxiety and pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand.

Cal confirmed your suspicions, "Something about this doesn't feel right. The Empire doesn't give up ground." You picked up the pace, you were slightly slower than him.

"Yeah, I was just thinking that." You confessed.

"I know. I feel it too." Cere added onto the growing suspicions. You spoke up.

"Watch yourselves, okay?"

"You too."

* * *

Walking into a dark cave, Cal lit up his saber, using it as a light to guide his way around. You debated on whether or not you should do the same, looking at your own lightsaber.

You were uncomfortable with the idea of igniting it, it had been so long. It wasn't yours either, it belonged to your master. He gave it to you, making you promise that you would keep it safe. That promise was part of the last words he ever said to you. The memory making you feel down again.

Cal had noticed your lack of movement, "How you holdin' up?" You caressed the object, holding it out in front of you before igniting it.

Orange blades came out from both sides, and cast a warm light across the cavern's walls. Seeing the weapon in all it's glory made you feel nauseous. It reminded you of your master.

_You didn't deserve to be using his lightsaber._

You looked away, not being able to look at it anymore only to meet Cal's eyes. His green eyes were wide open, amazement crossing his features. 

"Woah, where'd you get that? I didn't think padawans could get a double-" You narrowed your eyes at him.

"It was my masters, before he died." Walking past him, using the lightsaber to illuminate your way, you ignored his stare.

Progressing through the damp cave, BD would sometimes hop off of Cal's shoulder to analyze something, reporting back to his friend. The more you held the weapon, the better you felt about it. In a way you felt connected to Alehum, like you were continuing his legacy.

_Maybe this wasn't so bad..._

It didn't change the fact that you couldn't use the Force and refused to. Coming up on some abandoned fabric, your companion bent down, extending his hand. You stood by as he just sat there, a distant look in his eyes. Before you could say something, he stood up abruptly.

"A mother used this fabric to keep her child warm. They were on the run from something." He stated, a sad tone to his words. Your eyes softened, you had forgotten that he could see and feel moments from the past.

_The things he must see on these expeditions..._

He held his head up high, progressing through the cave, before you stopped him.

"Hey, Cal. You ok?" You asked, you knew that if you had to deal with other people's trauma and your own you would've offed yourself long ago. He turned to look at you, exhaustion in his eyes and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm ok." He assured you, you weren't too convinced but knew what it was like when someone pried. Backing off you continued walking, waiting for Cal to help you up ledges and rough terrain.

* * *

Soon enough you saw daylight peeking through a corner of the cave. Relief washed over you, picking up the pace to get out of the cave.

Stepping carefully around the ledge you turned off your lightsaber, absentmindedly running your thumb along the barrel. Cal took notice of the change in attitude towards the weapon. Before, you would have done anything to avoid looking at it. Now, it seemed as if you held onto it for comfort. He was happy to see that you were budging on the whole Jedi thing.

Coming up on a windmill Cal talked into the comms, "Are you and Greez safe?" 

You heard the static on your end before Cere responded. "You and Y/N worry about the mission, I'll worry about keeping us off their radar. We'll be fine." Cal left it at that, extending out his hand towards the windmill. Confused, you stood next to him.

Suddenly the machinery slowed, almost as if time around it stopped. You gaped at the sight, you remembered when you first learnt that skill. It truly brought you great nostalgia. He ran at the mill, using one of it's pegs as a make shift bridge between the ledges of the cliff.

Waiting for you on the other side, he slowed it down again. Holding his arms out, to catch you when you jumped off of it. Sucking in a breath you walked backwards, then ran full speed at the windmill. Jumping off the peg and straight into Cal's arms.

He slid back a bit, not taking into account the momentum you would have. You had your arms wrapped around his neck and looked up at him. He stared into your eyes, not letting go of you after he stood up.

"Uhm, put me down?" You asked, the awkwardness thickening between you. You felt as if your face was blood red, and like your heart was going to burst out of your chest.

He quickly realized what he was doing, his face and the tips of his ears flushed. He set you down and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry about that, Y/N."

You chuckled, finding his odd behavior kind of cute. Walking past him you quickly stood up against the rocky wall, hearing some Stormtroopers nearby.

"Guess playtime is over." You stated seriously, Cal agreeing.

The two soldiers spotted you and swung their electric batons at you and Cal. You dodged the first swing, stumbling back a bit and tripped over a rock. Realizing your situation, you watched as the Trooper raised the baton again, bringing it down with as much force as he could muster. 

Raising your hand to protect yourself you heard a lightsaber slash through the enemy. Thinking Cal had saved you again, you opened your eyes only to discover that you had accidentally ignited your lightsaber and killed the Imp.

Your partner stood behind you, lifting you up from the ground. Your eyes were still wide and trained onto the corpse of the Stormtrooper. You huffed after awhile, running a hand through your hair.

"I did it, I actually did it!" You exclaimed, a bright smile crossing your face. Cal patted your back, congratulating you. You stood back, looking at your weapon. A newfound confidence and strength surging in your veins. This was way easier than aiming with a blaster.

_Maybe you didn't need a few days after all._


	10. Part 9

Zeffo was a beautiful planet, the lush vegetation reminding you of Bogano. Coruscant had little to no greenery, it was a nice refresher from the places you had seen up until this moment.

Currently you and Cal were taking a break, recharging both your stamina and energy. It was good that you had packed food and water, all the running and jumping had tired you out and made you famished. As you finished your snack you sat up, and closed your eyes. 

You felt a pair of eyes on you, cracking open an eye you saw Cal staring at you. Feeling embarrassed, you turned your back to him.

"Stop staring at me, you creep." You muttered, straightening your back. You felt Cal snort and crawl over to you.

"You're trying to meditate! Does that mean you're going to use the Force?!" He exclaimed, a huge goofy smile stretching across his freckled face. Your face flushed. Trying to smack him, you yelled at him.

"Stop it, Cal! It's not funny! I tried meditating before, it didn't work. I'm just-" He held your arms, leaning against your back to get a look at your face. 

"Ohhh, so you're telling me that you meditated wrong? Let me guess, you couldn't focus and it took a long time to even sense the Force, huh?" He teased, the smile still etched onto his face. By this point your face had gone completely red, annoyance and embarrassment evident on your face.

Taking your silence as an answer, he cackled. A loud and deep hearty laugh coming from his gut, you felt it vibrate against your back. Your face felt hot with embarrassment. Wiping fake tears from the corners of his eyes he calmed down.

"Are you done? I swear you're a child." You rolled your eyes so hard that if you didn't know any better you would've guessed that they rolled into the back of your head. Turning to him he started laughing again.

"Oh man, I-I'm sorry. Okay, okay. Here, face me." He took your hands in his, sitting on his knees just like you. Clearing his throat he settled in, allowing silence to take over. 

"So first, you're going to close your eyes and clear your mind. Any thoughts you have, just acknowledge them and dismiss them." Following his instructions you managed to calm down and reach that serene state you did the first time.

_After awhile of comfortable silence, you felt the Force._

Cal spoke softly, "You feel it don't you? Now that you feel it, center in on it. Reach out to it and envision it physically flowing through your body. Envision yourself using it as you used to, as if you're unlocking parts of yourself."

Doing just as your companion said, you focused on it. Allowing it to flow freely through your body and out. Imagining yourself unlocking your previous abilities and using them. As you did this, you felt your body get lighter. As if a weight was lifted from your shoulders.

"Great, great. Now, open your eyes." Cal spoke, using his thumb to stroke the top of your hand.

Opening your eyes, you were greeted by your friend's face. A soft, loving smile on it. He helped you stand up and pointed to a rock.

"Force pull it, since it seems you're stronger with that ability." You bit your lip, your heart beating erratically. You started to tremble, your palms sweating.

Noticing this, Cal grabbed your face softly, gently forcing you to look at him. You held onto his arms, looking into his eyes.

"Cal, I-I don't know if I can do it, what if I mess up?" You whispered, still feeling anxiety course through your veins.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. You're okay. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, we can deal with this later. Okay?" He assured you, calming you down. You shook your head.

"No, no. I want to do this. I want to fight by your side. I want to be useful." You asserted. Cal furrowed his brows, concerned for you.

"You sure?" He asked, not wanting to push you beyond your boundaries. You nodded your head, leaning into his hand. Giving him a smile you looked into his eyes. His face flushed slightly, moving behind you. Placing a hand on your waist and guiding your hand with his other arm.

In your ear, he asked "Is this okay?" Nodding you concentrated on the rock, using Cal's earlier advice. Envisioning yourself pulling the rock towards you, you managed to make it move slightly.

You groaned, already growing frustrated with yourself.

_Even with the Force you couldn't do much..._

Kicking at the dirt you rubbed your face in frustration. Cal chuckled, ruffling your hair.

"Patience isn't really your strong suit, huh?" You rolled your eyes, and smacked his arm. 

Determined to move the rock, you extended your hand again. Focusing on the energy in and around it you pulled it towards you. Though, with a little _too_ much determination.

The rock flew at you faster than you or Cal could react, the rock smashed into your face. You fell back harshly, landing on your back and holding your nose. Pulling back your hand you saw your glove covered in blood. Cal knelt next to you, helping you up.

"Woah! Are-"

"Shut it Kestis." You sneered, fuming at the fact that you embarrassed yourself in front of Cal like that. You snapped over at BD-1 when he trilled and beeped. You could see all the color drain from Cal's face.

" _What?"_ You spat, still holding your nose trying to stop it from gushing blood.

"BD, no! Delete it!" You immediately knew what had just happened.

_The droid had recorded the entire interaction._

You shot up after the droid, running after it. The droid made a distressed noise, running away from your wrath. You used your new found ability on the droid, pulling it towards you. In your grasp, you shook it. Trying to make it delete the footage. Cal had to intervene, separating the both of you.

"Okayyyy, okay. BD, as long as you don't show that to anyone, I'll make sure Y/N doesn't deactivate you. Okay?." The droid quickly agreed, taking its place on the boy's back. You ground your teeth, you were sure that if you could, you would be releasing steam from your ears.

" _Fine_." You hissed, stomping off.

* * *

Making your way down the ice caves you checked the map.

"Alright, look. We take this ferry up and we'll reach the tomb." You pointed out to your partner. Cal looked over your shoulder as he fought off a trooper.

"Huh, seems legit." He shrugged. You hummed, heading towards the ferry. 

You looked up at the glaciers, the ice caused the cave to be an absolute freezer. You shivered, rubbing your arms to warm you up. Cal jogged up to you.

He turned his head to the side like a puppy of sorts. "You're cold? Here, take my poncho." You turned it down. Not wanting to be more of a burden on him. 

"You're clearly cold, just take it. I have more clothes under here." You couldn't fight that, plus the cold reminded you that you couldn't really turn it down if wanted to. You reluctantly took it, grumbling every step of the way.

As you put it on you not only realized that it was way too big for you, but that it smelt like Cal. A mixture of oil, sweat, and rain. Somehow it was a pleasant smell to you. You looked at your friend, seemingly looking for his approval of your new look.

He nodded, satisfied with his handy work. Giving you a thumbs up, he grabbed your wrist and pulled you along into the ferry. You looked at Cal, and took notice of just how fit he was under the poncho. Looking away you focused on anything other than the person beside you. Whistling a tune to lighten the mood. 

The ferry halted, the doors sliding open revealing even more enemies. You groaned, igniting your lightsaber. Using the length of the weapon, you created space between you and the Stormtroopers, allowing for Cal to come in and defeat them.

"Wow, I really gotta upgrade my lightsaber. Two blades make for really good crowd control." Cal expressed, in awe of your weapon. You smiled.

"Yeah, Master Whydall was really into having a functional saber." You hummed, spinning the saber around and demonstrating certain tricks to Cal.

He put his hands on his hips, looking at you play around with your weapon. "Was that his name? He sounds like he was a smart man." You stood still, reminiscing.

"He was, he taught me all that I know." Walking past him you put away your weapon. "Come on, we have to hurry up."

* * *

Leaving the ice caves you came upon an Imperial base, catching a transport ship as it was taking it off.

"Cere, there's a transport ship leaving the Empire's base." You relayed back to the Mantis.

Static came on the mic, "I heard. They plan to bring Zeffo artifacts to Coruscant." Cere responded. 

Your eyes widened. "Does that mean?"

"That the Emperor is interested in Zeffo? Maybe." You stood still, watching as the ship took off. Cal touched your shoulder.

"Coruscant was my home. I fled from it with my master after the Republic fell, before the Purge." You explained, your eyes still trained on the fleeing aircraft. Cal guided you towards the port, grabbing onto a ledge. You groaned.

"I don't have the upper body strength for this, Kestis!" He laughed, continuing to inch his way across the platform.

* * *

The Empire really didn't know anything about interior design, did they? The dark metallic walls and flooring was depressing, how could anyone spend all their lives on these bases?

You ignored your petty thoughts and pushed forward, coming upon a Purge trooper. Clearly identifiable by their black and red armor and their purple batons. You jumped down onto the platform, not bothering to wait for Cal. 

Swinging your lightsaber from side to side, you narrowed your eyes, anger taking over.

"You know, a scummy lowlife Imp like you killed my master. Man, did I enjoy ripping the likes of you apart. Just like I'm going to enjoy this too." You spat, venom dripping from every word.

The Purge trooper approached, paying no mind to your statement. "Die, Jedi scum." You smirked, pulling him towards you.

You looked straight into his helmet visor as you stabbed him. Dropping his corpse onto the floor as you talked to Cere.

"Are the Inquisitors coming?"

"It's possible, but we're far from Bracca. They might think Purge Troopers are enough. Or they could be stalling on purpose. Stay wary." You rolled your eyes. Of course they'd be stalling you, the Empire always played dirty.

Progressing through base Cere came online again, "Any sign of the tomb?"

"No, and the Empire's been stepping up security." Cal responded, Force pushing a wall so you could walk through.

You pulled yourself up a ledge, "Keep your focus. Watch out for them, BD." Cere finished as Cal pushed another wall open, revealing a slope of ice. You both looked at each other, jumping at the same time, using the ice as a slide to your next destination.

As your boots scraped against the ice you stretched your arms out, balancing yourself as you slid across the ice. You laughed, the wind hitting your face and the poncho flapping in the wind.

"WOO-HOO!" You yelled, having the most fun you had in a while, momentarily forgetting all about your problems. Forgetting about the Empire and virtually anything that plagued you.

The slope came to end, throwing you out onto a crash site. You stared at the massive ruins in awe.

"Woahhhh, you see this Star Destroyer? It's a Venator." You spoke out loud.

Cal stood next to you, looking at the same site as you, "There could be useful intel inside." You nodded, turning to him.

"Let's find a way to it." You exclaimed, getting a head start as you plunged straight into the water below. Swimming to the nearest shore you found various pillars and memorials, clone helmets adorning them.

Slicking back your wet hair you inspected them further. Looking at Cal as he knelt down to analyze the Force echo.

"The villagers built this memorial to the clones on the Venator. If only they knew the truth. See 'em? Empire isn't the only thing we have to worry about." You scoffed.

"I still remember the day they deemed me a traitor. The day my own troops tried to kill me, a child." You sneered, walking into a flooded tunnel. Cal sensed another Force echo.

He stood up, looking around the cave curiously. "This tunnel flooded suddenly. What could have caused such a thing?" 

You shrugged, "I don't know, may the ship when it crashed?" You guessed. Cal hummed.

"Maybe. Let's continue." Swimming through the tunnels another echo came up. Confirming what had flooded the tunnels.

"He was killed by a cave-in. Imperial excavation is making these tunnels unstable." You suddenly felt uneasy, knowing that you were essentially swimming in a graveyard.

"Ugh, come on. We gotta keep going." You stated, trying to keep the morale high between the both of you.

* * *

The day came to an end, you had set up camp as the Sun set. Setting down your bags and gear down to dry next to BD-1. Finishing up laying down the mats, you sat next to Cal. Laying your head on his shoulder.

"You're not hungry? Greez packed some dinner for us." You watched as Cal grimaced. You giggled as you watched the Sun disappear behind the horizon. Soon the stars came out, twinkling and dancing in the sky.

You hugged your knees to your chest, admiring the tiny dots in the sky. "Y'know, on Coruscant you can't see any stars. There's too much light pollution to see them. They're so beautiful." You spoke, catching Cal's attention.

"Oh yeah? What's Coruscant like then?" He asked, looking at you instead of the stars. You nodded, thinking of how to describe your home world.

"If I had to describe it, it's kind of like Bracca in a sense. No foliage or nature, just metal and buildings as far as the eye can see." You explained, using your hands to get your point across. "I even met the Emperor once or twice, what a creep lemme tell you." Cal let out a hearty laugh.

"Seriously?" He asked, raising a brow in disbelief.

You turned to him,"Yeah! I swear, I also met Master Kenobi. Him and Master Whydall used to be pretty close." You sighed. "I miss him so much, Cal." 

You ran a hand through your hair, getting it away from your face. "It's crazy how much your life can change in the blink of an eye."

Cal put his arm around you, pulling you in closer. Both of you stayed there for a while, simply enjoying each other's presence. It felt nice to be so intimate with a person after so long. The Jedi Order prevented relationships of any kind and with the life you led, it made it hard to settle down and create meaningful relationships with people.

You stood up, stretching your hands out while yawning. "Come on, it's been a pretty long day and tomorrow's going to be even longer." Your friend groaned, getting up as well.

Cal followed you to the mats you had laid out earlier, laying down on his side. You turned around, facing him.

"Hey, Cal?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad I met you. Even more glad that you stuck around, you're alright, Red." You confessed, turning onto your back. You heard your friend shift around before settling down.


	11. Part 10

Groaning, you shifted uncomfortably. The ground you were sleeping on felt cold and hard, with your eyes closed you felt around for the soft fabric of the mat you had set down. Not feeling the fabric underneath you, your eyes shot open. 

Scrambling off the ground, you observed your surroundings. You found neither your friends nor your belongings anywhere. Standing up you began to wander around the room, the room reminded you of the Jedi training quarters back on Coruscant.

A voice resonated throughout the room.

"Good morning, young padawan. Are you ready to begin your training for the day?" A window appeared at the very top of the room. Getting a clear view of Master Whydall ,you looked around some more. Banners with the Jedi insignia appearing on the walls around you.

Gulping, you looked back at Alehum. "Uhm, I guess?" 

You heard your master chuckle, "As shy as always aren't we, Y/N? We'll have to work on that, later. For now try to reach Patdev." Suddenly various platforms came out from the walls, a clone trooper appearing on one of them.

You remembered this. Patdev was your right hand man, the clone you were closest to. This was the day that you had learned Force push and stasis.

Analyzing the situation, you tried to figure out how to get to the clone. Using your pull ability, you pulled a platform towards you, hopping up on it. You kept pulling platforms until you were half way towards your goal. Suddenly there was a vertical slab in the way.

"Focus padawan, you can do this." You master encouraged, you had missed this. You wished you could go back, maybe you would've still met Cal if none of this had happened.

Focusing all your energy into using the Force to push the platform you managed to almost trip off the platform you were standing on.

"Careful, Y/N. You wouldn't want to have to start all over again, would you?" Alehum warned.

Again, you closed your eyes and aimed all your energy into the metallic surface. Managing to push it forward, creating a path for you to continue.

Whydall clapped and congratulated you, "See? You should learn to have more confidence in yourself. You're capable of great things."

Wiping off the sweat on your forehead you pushed forward, determined to complete your task. Now, instead of static platforms, they started moving. You quickly figured that you had to slow down the slabs and create a bridge to the trooper.

You shifted your weight.

_This is going to be significantly harder than just pushing or pulling..._

_'"_ Right you are, young padawan. This will be much harder, however once you learn these abilities you will be able to move onto more advanced abilities." At this your ears perked up, you had forgotten that you had been paired with your master specifically because of your abilities.

Both you and Alehum had the ability to influence other's thoughts and actions, and on occasion peek into their minds. An ability The Order had presumed you inherited from your parents. Before the the execution of order 66, you had barely begun to expand on your special ability.

Shaking your head, you turned your attention back to the task. You imagined the platforms slowing down, almost to a halt. Closing your eyes again you extended your hand, just like Cal did. Opening your eyes you managed to slow the object down on the first try, though the timing was all wrong.

Looking up at your master you saw as he shook his head in disappointment. "Try again, Y/N." 

Repeating your previous action, this time you had succeeded at lining up the platforms, quickly making your way across to the trooper. As you reached your colleague, he bent down to high-five you. You accepted, smiling at the clone.

"Congrats, Y/N. I knew you could do it." Patdev told you, a door hissing open to his right. Walking through the door the world around you changed, your surroundings changing from metallic hall to a bustling market place.

You recognized this place as Numidian Prime, the planet you fled to after the Republic fell. The dark hood you were wearing shielding your identity from the various criminals that surrounded you. You felt a large hand squeeze your own, you looked up. Seeing Whydall in the same dark cloak as you. It hit you like a thousand bricks. 

_This was the day that Order 66 was executed._

_This was the day that you watched your master die._

_The day that you watched that Purge Trooper beat your master to death._

_The day that your innocence was taken from you._

Extreme anxiety settled into your core, frantically looking around for a hiding spot. Your heart raced a mile a minute, hot tears wetting your cheeks. You pulled on your master's hand. He looked at you sternly.

"Now, now. Since when have I taught you to misbehave? Stay still." He scolded. You shook your head, unable to speak. 

"Y/N! What's wrong? You know I can't mind probe you, they'll find us." You started sobbing, no noise escaping your lips.

_You didn't want to see your master die._

In a moment of desperation you used the Force to influence your master's mind. Hoping that it would make him realize the danger he was truly in. Suddenly someone shouted.

"There! Those two!" A man in black and red armor yelled, pointing a purple baton in your direction. In the blink of an eye, Alehum was on the ground. Getting beaten mercilessly by the Imperial infantry. 

You cried out, sound finally being able to escape your mouth. You felt as someone held you back by your arms, pulling you away.

"NO! Please, no they're killing him! Please!" You begged and pleaded, slowly being pulled into the crowd. Your master's mouth lolled open and eyes frozen in horror, his body crumpled and distorted on the floor.

_Alehum Whydall was dead, and the last look you got of him was of his dead body._

Your breath hitched, eyes wide in abject horror as you quieted down, still being pulled away. You were gently put on on the floor. You didn't fight or look anywhere but the floor. Too broken to do anything, silently sobbing and hugging yourself.

Someone had killed your master and you were too powerless, too _useless,_ to do anything about it. Now you were sitting in an alleyway that some stranger had dragged you into. The person knelt down before you, gently forcing you to look at them.

You locked eyes with a pair of vibrant blue eyes. The eyes belonged to a kind looking Twi'lek woman, who looked extremely concerned.

"Listen, sweetheart. You have to leave, I understand what just happened, but you need to snap out of it if you don't want to die." You sobbed, resting your head on your knees.

"The-they killed him, they killed my dad!" You hiccuped, you hadn't meant to call Whydall your father, but in the moment that's what you blurted out. The woman grabbed you by the arms, shaking you lightly.

"Y/N!"

The woman's voice started blurring, the words becoming hard to distinguish. You screwed your eyes shut.

"Y/N!"

The voice became clearer.

"Y/N! Wake up!

* * *

You opened your eyes, coming face to face with Cal. His eyes wide with fear. Seeing you wake up and take in your surroundings, he stopped shaking your frightened form.

"Hey, it was just a nightmare! You're okay." He told you. You were still looking around, bewildered at what had happened to you. You held your head in your hands, trying to get a grasp on reality.

"Wha- What? I- was-" You began, slightly starting to bug out. Cal grabbed your face, forcing your attention onto him.

"What did you see?" He asked, rubbing his hands up and down your arms in an effort to comfort you. You leaned into his touch, trying to piece together a sentence.

You swallowed thickly, "I woke up in a training dojo, then-then I completed my training and... and I walked through a door. I-uhm - I saw my master die. Oh, Cal it was horrible." You lamented to the boy. He hummed, petting the top of your head. 

He offered you some water and a rag. "Hm, the same thing's been happening to me. Maybe you unlocked more Force abilities." He offered, trying to distract you from your nightmare.

Chugging down the water and wiping your mouth you nodded. "Y-yes, I'm pretty sure I learned Force push and stasis." Cal widened his eyes, as if to say "Really?" 

Nodding, you stood up. "Yeah, and the whole dream-nightmare- whatever it was, showed me that I had the ability to mind trick and probe. I remember, that was what got Whydall killed." You grimaced, gathering your gear and putting it on.

"So, like mind control? That's pretty cool." Cal offered, also donning his own gear. BD crawled over to you, hopping onto your shoulder. He trilled lowly. 

"I don't know what you said, buddy. But, I'm okay." You stated. The droid beeped, seemingly satisfied with your answer. After picking up the camp site you turned to your friend.

"You ready?" 


	12. Chapter 11

You had to take yet another ferry downwards, needing to head into another set of caverns. The machinery made a loud scraping noise as it descended further into the earth.

Your gear made small clinking noises as you adjusted it tighter to your body, your harness equipped with various weapons. You giggled as BD-1 tilted his head, curious at the objects you were holding. You shook your head,

"No, I'm still mad at you for yesterday." You expressed, bending down to fix your boots. 

Cal looked over at you, fed up with your fidgeting. "Are you, okay? You're moving around a lot." He asked, leaned up against the metallic wall. 

You laughed nervously, and straightened up. "Yeah, I guess I'm just nervous. Something doesn't feel right." Cal walked over to where you were. 

"I noticed it earlier, this feeling in the pit of my stomach. At first I thought it was Greez's cooking. Now it's getting even stronger. I think the closer we are, the worse I feel. It can't mean anything good." Cal confessed, his voice soft and submissive.

You hummed, frowning. "Oh, come on. Greez's cooking is good! But, yeah. I know what you mean. The more we push forward the more nauseous I feel."

It was true, even before landing on Zeffo you had been on edge, everything just felt. _Off._ As is something out there was telling you to be careful, that something bad was going on.

Before you could speak up again, the ferry came to a halt. The sudden force lurching you forward, almost tipping you off balance. The doors slid open, you were sure that if you were in a cartoon, ominous music would've have started playing.

You felt your stomach churn, and the bile shoot up into your mouth. You swallowed it, not wanting worry Cal.

_Gross..._

Walking out, you looked around at the large cavern. Imperial architecture all around you, yet, abandoned. The Empire didn't abandon much, especially not something as important as Zeffo.

The excavation site was a ghost town, so quiet you heard as the water dripped down the stalactites. Pushing down your increasing anxiety, you walked into an elevator, as it was the only way to go anywhere.

As the machinery descended, you felt sick to your stomach. Your head spinning and vision blurring.

Everything yelled at you to go back, to not keep going. You grabbed onto Cal's arm as you bent over, heaving. The doors of the elevator opened, revealing your biggest enemy.

_The Second Sister._

Just the sight of her made you throw up, the bile burning your throat and spilling out onto the floor. Your heaving just got worse, feeling a panic attack coming on. The room spinning and losing your balance, you hit yourself, in an attempt to snap out of it. The pain grounding you.

You stood up, your head held high. Gripping your lightsaber, your knuckles turned white and stared down the Inquisitor, a burning rage festering in your core.

"Cal Kestis."

"Y/N L/N" 

As she spit out your name, your anger wavered. That horror infecting you again, you ignored it though, not wanting her to feed off of it.

"How predictable. Oh, yes. I know your names...Your pasts... and most importantly, about Cordova. Tell me, where did he hide the holocron?" She spilled, threatening you with just her stance. She turned around, confident she wouldn't lose this confrontation.

Both you and Cal lowered into a fighting stance, igniting your lightsabers. If you were going to die, you would die fighting.

Hearing the buzz of your weapons she looked over her shoulder, "Outstanding." Igniting her own weapon.

The Second Sister was an experienced fighter, a real threat unlike the enemies you had met so far. Her stance was that of a predator, ready for the kill.

Side stepping around the Inquisitor, both of you surrounded her making it so that she had no where to go. You stared into her visor. 

She cackled, "You really think this silly trick of yours will work?" You swallowed thickly, biting your tongue as to not say something that would get you killed. 

The Sister scoffed, rushing at you with great speed. She swung her weapon, and you raised your lightsaber, sparks flying as the blades clashed. You struggled keeping her at an arms length, her strength over powering you.

Struggling to push against her lightsaber, she started to push you backwards. Inch by inch, your boots slid across the dirt until you were pinned up against the wall. The red weapon getting dangerously close to your face, singeing the tips of your hair.

You yelled, using the wall behind you to kick the Inquisitor off of you. You fell on the ground as the woman stumbled backwards. Panting on your hands and knees, you used the Force to push her against the other side of the room, Cal taking the opportunity to fight her.

You watched as they went back and forth, blue and red clashing as Cal fought valiantly. You circled them, trying to look for an opening. Soon The Sister backed off, dragging her lightsaber around her in a circle.

Jumping up you jabbed your weapon in her direction , fanning it to make space between you and her. You spun the weapon, using both blades to hit her rapidly. Getting a few hits in, she pushed you back with the Force. You ground your teeth as you slid across the room, Cal jumping in to take your place.

You snapped you fingers at BD, getting a stim from him to heal the scrapes you had obtained from sliding across the dirt. Feeling the injuries heal quickly, you rushed towards the fight. 

You and Cal inched closer to her, cornering her. She looked around desperately before raising her hand. You felt something tighten around your neck, slowly restricting your airflow.You lifted up off the ground. Looking over at Cal, the same thing happened to your friend.

Clawing at the invisible force around your neck, the Inquisitor threw you across the area. Sending you crashing through a wall of metal bars, the force causing the wall to give. You gasped for air, selfishly allowing the oxygen to fill your lungs once you hit the ground. You coughed, rubbing your neck as you backed away from the incoming threat.

Your eyes widened in terror as you saw the woman raise the lightsaber above her head, you shielded your face from the impact. Not feeling any pain you looked up, a pale red force field separating you from her.

_BD-1 had activated the wall._

Letting out a sigh of relief you turned to Cal, making sure he was okay. The Inquisitor poked at the wall a few times with her lightsaber, testing for any weak points. Cal helped you up, getting away from the enemy.

"You're learning. Not quite as gifted as Cere's last apprentice but not as bad." You ground your teeth, you hoped she wouldn't tell Cal the truth. It could ruin the relationship between him and the crew.

Cal growled lowly, "You're keeping count." You trained your eyes on the Sister, watching as she paced back and forth like a caged animal.

"I'm surprised she didn't tell you. Cere was never good at keeping secrets." She taunted from beyond the wall.

"You shut your whore mouth." You spat, jabbing a finger her direction. This only amused the woman, laughing lightly as she turned her attention to you.

"She was weak. Cracked in an Imperial torture chair. Surrendered the location of her naive Padawan. They would never have found me..." She took off her helmet, the gear hissing as it released. "If it wasn't for her."

"Damnit..." You muttered under your breath.

Turning her attention back to Cal, she spoke again, "She betrayed me." This caused Cal to walk forward.

"You're Trilla."

Trilla smirked, "In the flesh." 

Cal turned around, beginning to walk away. "I won't let you manipulate me."

"So sure, are you? When faced with the choice to protect herself or her Padawan, she chose self-interest. She'll sell you two out as well." She teased, making you stand closer to the thin field.

"She's human. At least she didn't join the Empire, like you. You witch. We can handle ourselves." You spat.

Trilla chuffed under breath, "Can you afford to take that chance? Your new master harbors great darkness. The look on her face when she saw what they had done to me. As I am now. She turned. Exposing her true nature. She used... the dark side."

Your eyes widened, you had known everything. Or at least, you thought you did. Cere had told you that everything, except for her using the dark side.

This didn't change your opinion of her though, she was still Cere. She was still the woman you had grown to love and admire.

She was human, she made mistakes. Every Jedi has been tested and tried by the dark side, she was no different. Plus, who was Trilla to judge. She was working _for_ the dark side.

"She cut herself off from the Force." Cal defended.

"Oh? How long before she cracks and betrays you too? Is that who you want beside you when you find the holocron? What about her?" She pointed at you. "Do you truly know them? They're not who they seem, either. What would Jaro Tapal say?"

Cal got angry, stomping towards Trilla. You held out an arm, stopping him. "You have no right to mention his name."

"I wonder... What would he think if he could see his Padawan now? Skulking in the shadows with a betrayer. Granting her access to a legion... of impressionable students."

"No. I won't let anyone touch them." Cal grunted. Trilla turned around, walking away.

"I thought the same thing once."

Disappearing from view , you turned to Cal. You could tell that his spirits were down, his demeanor had changed.

"Cal, I-" He cut you off.

"What did she mean?" You stuttered, bewildered that he would be tricked by Trilla.

You took a step back, resting your arms on his chest. "Cal, she's just trying to get into you-"

"What the hell did she mean, Y/N?!" He yelled, momentarily loosing control. You stepped back again, now trying to create space between you and him. You looked away, scoffing.

_You were stupid for trusting him so blindly..._

"Back off, Kestis. I've done things in my past, things that I'm not proud of. But, I don't owe you an explanation. If my actions since you've met me haven't convinced you, then sucks to be you. I know that I trust you, I trust myself, and I trust in what we're doing." You spat, taking a few steps forward.

"I'm not going to let some random guy question who I am. And you shouldn't let some evil skank, make you question the people who have been there for you time and time again. If you do, then you're a weak minded individual, Kestis." You walked off, furious that you had let your guard down around Cal.

_It would take some time before things returned to normal..._

* * *

After some time of searching you had come up on the Zeffo tomb.

"It feels... different than the other tomb. I don't know, but I don't like it." Cal expressed to you. You just huffed, your arms crossed defensively over your chest.

Grabbing onto a ledge, you had begun your journey into the tomb. Still silent you heard as Cal spoke into the comm.

"I found it. But... Cere, why didn't you tell me?" He dejectedly spoke, a hopelessness to his voice. You supposed you felt bad for him, you wanted to comfort him and whisper sweet nothings into his ear.

_What?_

_Why were you fantasizing about comforting someone who had just accused you of betraying them?_

Normally, you would have ditched Cal by now, but somehow you just couldn't. You were too attached to him.

The familiar static came on, but the voice that responded wasn't so familiar.

"Because she's a liar." Trilla's voice came through, shocking you almost to the point of you loosing your grip on the ledge.

"You! How?" Cal started.

Trilla chuckled, "I rerouted communication the moment you tried to contact her. Slicing encrypted transmissions was always a pastime of hers. She taught me once. Just like she did that little friend of yours. There's no technique Cere has that I haven't perfected." You scowled when she mentioned you. Swinging across some vines, you kept going.

_You were determined to get rid of Trilla once and for all._

* * *

It went on like this for hours. 

Trilla kept taunting both you and Cal, slowly diminishing the morale of the group. Even you had begun to lose hope. Having a little voice telling you that you were going to fail constantly, wasn't exactly the best for your confidence or hope.

Grunting as you pulled your self up the sarcophagus, you shot a look Cal's way. You had noticed just how much he was beginning to change, his once goofy and happy nature now twisted and morphed into a dark and depressing one. 

It hadn't helped that you were ignoring him either, giving him the silent treatment the entire time Trilla crushed his spirits. You huffed, killing yet another one of the Inquisitor's imps. 

"Just ignore her, Kestis. She'll get what's coming to her soon enough." You grunted, not sparing another look at the boy.

Not getting the chance to respond, a TIE fighter appeared, shooting bolts at the chains holding up the sarcophagus. The thick chains gave out, leaving nothing for you and Cal to hold onto. You saw as Cal's lightsaber fell out, before he Forced pulled it to him.

You pulled a stray vine towards you, using it to land safely on a nearby rock. While Cal landed harshly on it, rolling his body to minimize the impact.

He looked at his lightsaber, "The Force is with me. It connects us." He stated.

Making your way up the tomb through various vines and tedious climbing, you stepped into an elevator of sorts. BD hopped off of Cal's shoulder, making its way over to a blank wall and displayed a holo-message. You and Cal moved behind the droid as a hologram of Cordova appeared.

"Here it is. I have finally found an intact representation of this sacred Zeffo artifact. My friend, look closely. This is Miktrull at the Vault on Bogano. You can see an object in their hand. Based on this imagery, I believe this object allows a Force wielder to perceive the mysteries of the Vault. This is the key and the guide. The Zeffo Astrium." Cordova explained.

This was good, this meant you were still one step ahead of the Empire, maybe there was still a fighting chance.

"But who would destroy images of it and why? It requires more research. However, our next step's clear. Find an Astrium. If any still exists." With that, the message concluded.

Your companion turned to you, "An Astrium. Ever heard of it?" You rolled your eyes, walking away. You heard as Cal sighed, walking after you.

* * *

Hopping along various platforms, you heard Trilla come on the comms.

"Very good, Padawan. You've cleared the way." You rolled your eyes.

_So kriffing dramatic..._

"Get to the point, Trilla." You argued, grunting as you hit the ground.

She laughed, "I needed this tomb raised. And now that I have what I need, you two are of no use to me." The comms crackled, the other side of the communication destroyed.

"Can you reverse what she's done?" Cal asked you. You shook your head.

"Sorry, Kestis. No gear." You used as little wording as possible, still hurt that he had accused you earlier. However, your droid companion beeped.

Cal smiled, "Thanks! Hope this new encryption keeps her out for good." You nodded, continuing to make your way back to the Mantis.

After a while of silence, Cal sighed. "We should check in with the Mantis. Trilla probably knows where they are."

You touched your comm, only receiving an ear shattering crackle on the other end. "You sure the comm's fixed? They're not answering." You stated. The droid beeped, just as confused as you. 

"Something's wrong. We need to get back." You hummed in compliance, not wanting to create any more issues.

* * *

The hike back to the Mantis was relatively quiet, not a soul in sight. 

Something was wrong, very wrong. It was as if the Empire abandoned the planet completely. You tapped Cal on the shoulder.

"Hey, we shouldn't be out in the open. Something's wrong. I feel as if someone's watching us." You expressed your concerns to him, speaking to him sincerely for the first time in hours. The Sun had started to go down. Orange, pink, and red hues painting the sky.

As you finished talking to your partner, a small device bounced against your foot. As soon as it stopped moving, it activated a blue force-field to form around you and Cal. Both of you jumped back, igniting your weapons.

You looked around frantically, not seeing the enemy. Another device shot out at Cal, electrocuting him. Before you could run to him, the same thing happened to you. The shock shooting through you, incapacitating you.

"Ack! C-Cal!" You managed out, seeing a heavily armored man punch your partner unconscious.

'G-Get away fr-from him!" You yelled at the man.

The last thing you saw before also being knocked out was Cal being dragged away.


	13. Part 12

The pounding in your head was killing you, a strong throbbing pain resonating within your skull.

Fluttering your eyes open, you were welcomed with a strange sight. Not surprised at the fact that you woke up in a strange place, you sat up. 

_This is getting ridiculous..._

Rubbing your head to ease the throbbing pain, you looked around for your companions.

"Red? You okay? You muttered out.

Not getting a response, you looked around again. Quickly realizing you were alone, you looked down.

_Okay, no Padawan robes..._

_No weird ghosts..._

You pinched yourself, trying to see if you were truly dreaming.

_Ow! Okay, definitely not a dream..._

Reality had quickly set in, the gravity of your situation becoming very evident. You scrambled up, rifling through the room. 

Spotting metal bars that granted you access to the outside, you tried to look out into the hallway. The corridor was barren, the lights barely shedding any light. You groaned, not very keen on the idea of being held captive.

You stood back, running at the door with full speed and ramming into it. The metal didn't budge an inch, though you were sure it had left you with a gigantic bruise. Not wanting to give up, you kept ramming the door. 

_Over..._

_and over..._

_and over again..._

Many attempts later you were left with a sore and pained arm, "Ugh! Stupid kriffing door!" You groaned.

Looking around the room again you found nothing else, the door being the only entry and exit to the cell. You kicked at the ground in frustration. Maybe you could slice the door with your lightsaber.

Reaching for the weapon you found nothing, in fact all of your gear was missing. No camping gear, no knives or blasters, or _anything._

_At least you still had the Force..._

You focused all your energy into pushing the door, when the door didn't even dent you raked your hands through your hair. You sat on the ground, hugging your knees to your chest.

Your mind couldn't think of anything but your friend, thoughts of what they could've done to him racing through your head. The crippling loneliness being the only thing keeping you company. You hit your head against the wall.

_Was this the end?_

You started tearing up, the thought of never seeing Cal again making you incredibly sad. You snuggled into his poncho, his smell still ingrained into the fabric.

* * *

Not having anything to indicate what time it was, you had lost track of time. It had felt as if you had been in your cell for an eternity.

You found the strength to get up, looking through the small cracks between the metal bars of the door. Footsteps in the distance had caught your attention.

"Hey! In here!" You yelled, your voice hoarse from not using it. The footsteps had stopped, then picked back up again. As they drew nearer you thanked the Maker.

"Y/N?!" A familiar voice called, your heart soared as you realized who it was. 

You reached through the bars, "Cal?! Is that you? Over here!" The footsteps picked up the pace, drawing closer and closer until you were met with your friend's face.

You laughed, crying out of pure happiness and relief. "Cal...you're okay." You exclaimed softly as he unlocked the door, swinging it wide open. You jumped straight into his arms, holding on as if he were to disappear if you let go.

"Woah! Miss me much?" He laughed, petting your hair softly as he rested his chin on your head.

You sniffled, digging your head into his chest. "Shut it, Kestis." You muttered, your voice muffled by his vest. BD-1 trilled at you. You looked up, petting the small droid.

"Yeah. I missed you too, buddy." Stepping back you wiped your eyes, looking your friend in the eyes.

"I thought I'd never see you again, I couldn't imagine what they had done to you." Cal smiled softly, caressing your face with his thumb as his other hand was on your waist.

Letting go of your face he stepped back, "Come on, let's find a way out."

* * *

Making your way through the many cells and corridors you finally had found a way up, cheering and loud chants coming from above.

"Hear that? Sounds like someone is home after all." Cal stated, stepping in front of you as the lift came to a halt.

Loud music blasted in your ears, the chants louder than ever. "Hey, I recognize this band." Cal told you, walking out into the open. Coming into a large arena you saw a large hologram before you.

"Ugh, finally they arrive. We had action on how long it would take for you two lovebirds to get here." You narrowed your eyes, already annoyed with the strangers nasally voice.

Cal sneered, "And who are you?"

The stranger laughed maniacally, "Who am I? I'm Sorc Tormo, baby. I'm the boss of this operation. You have Greezy Four-Arms to thank for bringing us together."

You groaned, dragging a hand down your face, "The kriffing Haxion Brood, I knew it." You ushered quietly to Cal.

Turning back to Tormo, you yelled. "We will! As soon as we kick your ass!" Tormo ignored your snarky remark.

"We have a special challenger for you tonight. Two enforcers from a bygone era. Two Jedi! Let's see what they got! Oh! Somebody get baby their toys."

Your lightsabers fell down from the ceiling, you ignited them as you caught them. You and Cal turned your back to one another, joining backs to avoid any weak points.

"You want a show? We'll give you a show, assholes!" You yelled as an oggdo was let into the arena.

Tormo taunted the both of you, as you fought through the various creatures sent in to kill you. The loud music distracting you from being able to fight properly.

Defeating all the creatures sent your way, Sorc spoke, "The best is yet to come...I believe you know our next challenger...The Haxion Brood is gunning for ya." He finished, his voice fading into the music.

The same man that had kidnapped you entered the arena, you had learned from Greez that he was called 'The Hunstman'. You rolled your eyes, spinning your lightsaber around you.

You ran around the arena as The Huntsman fired at you relentlessly, dodging the various missiles and bolts that were aimed at you. Basically being tossed around like a rag doll by The Huntsman. You saw an opening as the enemy reloaded, Cal behind him.

"Cal! Catch!" You yelled, Force pushing the enemy right at Cal. Your friend took the opportunity to slash and attack the opponent as relentlessly as he had attacked you. Taking the time to catch your breath, you had hunched over.

Expecting another challenger to step up, you joined up with your partner. However, you saw a ship tear the yhtough arena, disrupting the fight. 

"It's the Mantis! Blast it! There is no escape! I will chase you across the galaxy if I have to!" Tormo barked from above.

You flipped off the flamboyant character as you backed into the Mantis, feeling cocky that you had escaped.

* * *

You made your way to the cockpit, having a few choice of words for a certain person.

"Hey, Greez. You're famous down there." You confronted the pilot, angrily tapping your foot. 

The Latero flinched, trying to save his skin from your wrath. "Yeah, they're an... ugly group, huh? They smell like used droid oil, heh heh. At least you guys are okay." You rolled your eyes, growling as you walked away.

Cere turned around, "Yeah, a complication we could have avoided. Luckily we found you." Cal interrupted.

"We have another complication. The empire knows about the holocron." You choked on the water you were currently chugging down. 

" _That's_ the problem? I lost all my stuff! I was _blessed_ to have gotten my saber back, do you know how much these bad boys go for on the black market?" You asked, Cere gave you a stern look before looking back at Cal.

"That's not good. The entire mission is now at risk." You scoffed, setting down the water bottle.

"Tch. Yeah, and we had a nice chat with the Second Sister. Trilla." You spat, watching as Cere averted her eyes.

"What did she tell you?" She asked, nervously avoiding eye contact.

Cal looked between you and Cere, "She told me... She told me you betrayed her to the Empire. Is it true?" He confronted. 

Cere twisted in her chair, "She'll say anything to jeopardize this mission."

"Cere! Just tell him! It's not like he doesn't already know!" You exploded.

She inhaled sharply, "She was my apprentice. Before the Purge."

"You should have told me." Cal raised his voice.

Greez interrupted the brewing argument. "We're getting an encrypted message from Kashyyyk." The three of you snapped your heads towards the short male, heading over to the holotable.

As the message came through, a hologram of Mari appeared.

"Cal, we found Tarrful and he is willing to meet you. But, that's not all. The Empire overran our position at the refinery. Saw retreated off-world. Some of us have joined the Wookie fighters in the forests. Be careful." Dismissing the message, Cere stepped into Cal's way.

"Later." She stated.

"Later. We have our lead." Cal confirmed, eyeing the short haired woman as she walked past him.

"Okay, this is fine. Everything is gonna be fine." Greez mumbled, sitting in his chair. Cal stood awkwardly as you placed a hand on his shoulder.

* * *

Laying on the couch, you were listening to music as you were logging the events from the past few days on your holopad.

It had always been important to you to remain organized and update your tactical guide, it helped you process what happened in your life. Things easily overwhelmed you so it helped to have a second 'brains' of a sort.

Jamming out to your music you had almost forgotten that you were resting your legs on Cal's lap. You looked up at him, curious as to what he was up to. He was deep in his thoughts, zoning out completely. Probably doing the same thing as you, compartmentalizing.

Sitting up you rested your headphones around your neck, you stored your holopad away. "Hey, we're going to make a stop pretty soon. Supplies are running low. You wanna come with?" You asked, hoping to cheer up the boy.

"You're going alone?" He asked, snapping out of his daydream. 

"Well, I'm the best at negotiating. So, yeah I guess." You shrugged, not sure what he meant by his question.

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? You don't seem like the type." He told you.

You huffed, hitting his arm playfully. "Listen, I may be pretty- _rough_ around the edges, with people. But, I'm better with money than I am with relationships." 

"Huh. Well, I'll tag along just to make sure you don't go around picking fights." He teased, petting BD. 

"I was raised around people like the Haxion Brood, trust me I can handle myself." You assured him.

He laughed, "Okay, tough guy. We'll see about that." You rolled your eyes, scooting closer to the male. He put an arm around you, pulling you even closer.

"I'm sorry- for what I said to you. Y'know, after Trilla-" You cut him off.

"Cal, you don't have to apologize. I get it, she got under your skin. That's her job, seriously don't sweat it." You told him, resting your head against him. He hummed, still thinking. You forced him to look at you,

"Seriously, Cal. It's okay. You have the weight of an entire universe on you, if anyone doesn't owe an apology to anyone, it's you." You explained, giving him a reassuring smile. He smiled back, hugging you tightly.

"Thanks, Y/N." Before you could reply, someone had walked into the lounge area.

"Oh! C'mon, guys! Get a room, you two- Actually, y'know what? Not on my ship." Greez yelled, gesturing his arms around. 

You pushed Cal off of you, sitting up straight as you turned to your friend. Your face hot with embarrassment.

"What?! No! Greez, we're just friends!" You quickly explained, waving your arms around frantically. You looked over at Cal, his face also bright red.

Greez shook his head, "Sure doesn't look like it! Kids these days." He grumbled, walking away into his own room.

An uncomfortable silence settled between you and Cal. You thought about your relationship with Cal. 

_This **was** how couples acted..._

_Just how many 'friends' were so touchy and intimate?_

You internally groaned, reluctantly turning towards your 'friend'. "Cal, I- I don't, uhm. Heh, I'm not sure I want, whatever _this_ ,"

You gestured between you and him. "is. I mean, we're just friends! Right?" You laughed nervously, avoiding any eye contact with Cal.

Out of the corner of your eye you saw Cal's face fall a bit. Your eyes widened, your face flushing again.

_Did he... did he like you?_

He stood up abruptly, walking towards the back of the ship. "Yeah, just friends." He grumbled.

_Awh, kriff..._

_Had you really just messed up your relationship with Cal?_

You rubbed your face in frustration, groaning loudly. You made your way into your room, flopping onto your bed face first. You yelled into your pillow, effectively muffling any sound that you made.

_How could you be so kriffing stupid!_

Resting your head on the plush pillow you began to think about your feelings towards your 'friend'. You supposed you thought he was cute, attractive even. Thinking back to every time you watched him use his hands, dazed. Or how every time he touched you, your heart started racing.

About that time on Zeffo, when he was holding you and looked into your eyes. Even that time that you reunited outside that cell.

Every time you thought about Cal your heart fluttered and your stomach dropped. And every time the thought of him being hurt or upset made you terrified. You always chalked it up to anxiety, but now you realized you might have had feelings for the boy.

 _Why were emotions so hard!_

You threw the pillow across the room, your frustration growing. You shook your head, mad at yourself for continuously messing things up.

A knock at the door interrupted your pity party, the sound pulling you from your thoughts. Getting up, you opened the door greeting the unexpected visitor.

"We just landed, here's a list of what we need and some-uh, credits." Greez handed you a rather large pouch of credits and a paper listing various items. You sighed, dismissing the Latero.

Walking out, you saw Cal tinkering at the workbench in the very back of the ship. You felt a strong sense of regret as you watched him work on his lightsaber.

"Hey- uhm, I'm heading out. If you wanna, come with." You started, watching as he straightened up. Your eyes lit up as you watched him approach you.

"C'mon, Red!" You chirped.

* * *

The market was bustling with life, people of all races and walks of life filling the market.

The planet you had stationed at was rich with all types of life and interesting items, it kind of reminded you of Kashyyyk or Numidian Prime. The landscape was humid and jungle-like.

You looked at your list, "Alright, we need the usual stuff. Blue milk, cushnips, water, fruit jelly, energy capsules... Wait, is this just all food?" You explained, Cal looked over your shoulder. 

As his breath fanned your ear, you shuddered. Your heart starting to beat faster. 

Cal looked at you, "Are you cold? Cause it's really hot out." You quickly shook your head, not wanting to clue him in on what you were truly thinking.

You laughed nervously, pulling at the collar of the poncho. "Nope, oh! Would you look at that, Greez wants us to get some power packs, medkits, and engine tape! Oh, and some more tinker tools." You listed off the items from the paper, distracting Cal from the previous interaction.

You dragged Cal by the arm to the nearest vendor, eyeing the various goods on display. Spotting large jars of blue milk and water you whispered over to Cal.

"Don't talk, once they figure out you speak Basic they'll skyrocket the prices. Basic means money to these guys. Just stand there and look scary." Cal nodded, leaning up and crossing his arms over his chest.

Catching the attention of the the vendor you pointed towards the jugs, "How much for those?" It had been a while since you spoke in Bocce, but had managed nonetheless. The vendor rubbed his chin, thinking about the price.

"45 credits." He stated firmly.

You shook your head, that price was absolutely outrageous.

_45 credits for a jug of blue milk and water?_

_Was this guy nuts?_

"20 credits, no amount of blue milk will cost that much anywhere." You countered. The vendor laughed.

"30 credits! This is the finest blue milk in all the galaxy, imported straight from Naboo." He stated. You rolled your eyes and pinched the bridge of you nose.

"Blue milk isn't native to Naboo, so already I know you're lying. Secondly, you're selling this from a dingy tent, I doubt this is the finest blue milk in the galaxy." 

The man sighed, not necessarily liking being called out on his lie. "Fine, 20 credits."

Smugly handing over the credits, you gestured at Cal to take the jugs. Walking away once you knew he had them secured.

As you walked side by side with Cal you kept a lookout for the other items.

"I didn't know you spoke languages other than Basic. I understood some of it, mainly only the part of the credits." Your friend expressed to you.

You laughed, "Yeah, I picked up some other languages when I lived on Numidian Prime. I had to basically haggle to live." You explained, walking up to another tent.

Here you spotted the battery packs, tape, and tools that you needed. Picking out the various items and placing them into your crate you asked the seller for the price.

"For all this? Mmm, 50 credits." Your eyes widened. 

_What a steal! All these battery packs **and** tools for only 50 credits?! _

You handed the woman the money quickly, not wanting to wait for her to change her mind. Pushing past people, you stopped. Looking around you spotted some Stormtroopers. Pulling Cal into alleyway, you waited for the troopers to pass by.

Exhaling as the Stormtroopers passed you looked up at Cal. Your body was pressed up against him, your hand over his mouth. Realizing the compromising position you were in, you quickly stepped back and let go of your friend.

BD-1 beeped, as if talking for Cal. You sighed, guessing at what he said. "There were troopers passing by, I wasn't sure if they would know who we were."

Cal just stood there, leaning against the wall. His face seemed sad, as if he were expecting something else to happen.

"Oh." He walked out of the alleyway, continuing to look for the things you needed. You sighed.

_He was still upset..._

* * *

Quite exhausted from your venture into the market place, you set down the crate filled to the brim with supplies. You slid onto the couch as Cal set down the heavier items.

"Ugh, my feet are _killing_ me. I can't believe we spent _all_ day out there." You complained to your friend, taking off your boots to massage the bottoms of your feet.

The only response you got from your companion was a curt 'Yeah' before walking off. You rolled your eyes.

_You hated apologizing..._

_But, anything for Cal..._

Groaning you stood up, heading towards your room, hoping to correct things.

You called your friend into your room. He looked up from his project, following you into the small room. He looked around, taking note of the various things in your room.

You patted the spot next to you, beckoning him to take a seat. As he sat next to you, you faced him. 

"Cal, about what I said this morning- I uhm, I didn't mean it like that. I was just- I was just very embarrassed that Greez was teasing us. I realized that it must've sounded harsh. I'm sorry if I upset you." You told him, wringing your fingers to occupy your attention.

The silence was palpable, the tension so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Your heart was going to burst out of your chest if he didn't respond soon.

Cal sighed heavily, grabbing your hand. "Why are we always apologizing to each other? Y/N, you're one of, if not, my closest friend. I understand you might not feel the same way I do. It's okay. I'm always going to be here for you." 

You looked at your intertwined hands, a sour taste in your mouth.

"I do. Feel the same way, I mean. I just don't know if I'm ready. I don't want to jump into a relationship only to realize we don't belong together. Plus, we're in a really difficult place right now." You placed your other hand over his.

"The Empire is after our heads, I don't want something to happen to you. Also, what happens when we rebuild the Order? Jedi can't have relationships. Cal- I just. I don't wanna hurt you." You explained, looking into his eyes.

He stared back at you lovingly as you continued. "Hell, I didn't realize that I felt the same way until this morning. What if I'm wrong? I'm broken, Cal. I'm not someone you want in your life. I'm useless." You finished, releasing his hands to rest your arms on your knees.

He hugged you tightly, not letting go of you. "We'll figure it out, Y/N. I promise. I get that right now isn't the right time, but I promise we'll be okay. You're not useless, you're the most amazing person I've met! You're smart and you're strong, you're the most beautiful person I know." He stated, causing you to cry lightly.

"Cal, I- I don't know what to say. I'm just scared, I've never felt this way before." You confessed, tears blurring your vision slightly. Cal wiped your tears away with his thumb, his calloused hand comforting you.

He leaned in, kissing your forehead. You leaned back onto your bed, bringing him down with you.

You snuggled into his chest, the warmth of his body comforting you. He pet your hair softly, pressing soft kisses onto the top of your head. You stayed there for a while, just basking in each other's presence. You sat up, looking down at Cal as he looked back up at you.

"It's getting late, Red. I would let you stay, but you'd have to buy me dinner first." You teased, getting up and heading over to the door.

He laughed slightly, walking out of your room. "Then I guess I'll have to buy you dinner sometime. See you later, Y/N." 

As the door closed, you put your back to it. You squealed quietly, your face flushed.

_You most definitely had a crush on the boy..._


	14. Part 13

Greez sat a plate down in front of you. The blue-milk waffles and eggs were messily plated, and a cup of blue milk sat beside the plate.

"Thanks, Greez. This looks great." You gave the short male a curt nod. 

The Latero waved you away, turning back to the food he was cooking.

Cal came out from the back of the ship, joining you at the table. You smiled at him, your face flushing slightly. Cal smiled back at you as Greez set down another plate in front of him.

"Hey." You said shyly, your heart was fluttering as you remembered what happened last night. For some reason, now that you had realized you liked Cal, he appeared much, _much_ more attractive to you.

"Hey." He repeated, an even wider face adorning his freckled face. BD popped up behind him, the small droid sitting next to you on the table.

You pet the droid, looking at Cal. "Y'know, he kind of reminds me of a cat. But, also a dog?" You stated, however before Cal could respond Cere came into the kitchen from the cockpit.

"We've landed on Kashyyyk. Whenever you're ready, head out. Good luck." She wished farewell before locking herself away in her own room.

Cal stood, pushing aside his plate." You looked up at him and raised a brow.

"You're not gonna eat?" You asked, still eating your food. Your friend shook his head, resting his hands on his hips.

"No, I gotta get going. C'mon, you can eat on the way." You set your fork down, swallowing your food.

You laughed nervously, "Heh, about that- I'm gonna stay behind today, I need to talk to Cere." You explained.

He stood still, using his arms to lean on the chair. "Are you sure?" He asked. He gave you puppy eyes, trying to convince you to join him.

"No, no. I have some serious stuff to take care of, seriously." You explained, reaching out to hold his hand. 

He groaned lightly, leaning forward to give you a kiss on your forehead. "Alright, alright. I'll see you later then."

Your face flushed as he kissed your head, touching the spot lightly. "Stay safe, Red." You mentioned.

You watched as Cal left the Mantis, a fleeting worry crossing your mind.

_He better not get hurt..._

Shaking the worry away you were pulled from your thoughts by the voice of a certain person.

"Still, 'just friends'?" Greez teased, sitting next to you with his own plate of food. You scratched the back of your neck, not sure of what to say to the pilot.

"Greez. I'm- listen, it's complicated. We talked. We decided it wasn't the right time." You explained, not wanting to let on more than you had to. Greez nodded as he took a bite of his waffles.

Swallowing, Greez spoke his mind. "Just, don't get hurt. I can't take anymore of this- this tension between you guys." The Latero explained, his voice softening towards the end of his sentence.

You averted your gaze. He was right, the tension between you, Cal, and Cere was on the rise. It had been putting a strain on the dynamic. That's why you had stayed behind, you wanted to clear up things with Cere.

You sighed, deciding you were no longer hungry. The conversation churning your stomach in an uncomfortable way, in a way that made you stressed beyond belief.

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry Greez, we're all just stressed cause of- cause of all this _kriffing_ nonsense. I don't even know if we're gonna be able to pull this stunt off. I mean, the _entire_ Empire is after us!" You exclaimed.

There was hope in your heart that you'd be able to restore the Jedi Order, however your more realistic side knew the truth.

_Did you really want to put those children in danger?_

_Is that what Master Whydall would want?_

_You couldn't let the Empire get their hands on the holocron, though..._

At war with your own thoughts, you slumped back in your chair and crossed your arms over your chest. You didn't want to think about the more, gruesome, outcomes of your actions.

The fact that Cere had lied to you, that she was blindly charging into this mess, unnerved you. You had only went along with this whole thing because you took pity on the woman, you never really thought it was possible. But, because of Cal and Cere strong arming your opinion you were swept up in the current.

The Jedi Order was gone, you accepted that long ago. You accepted that everything had an expiry date and that nothing lasted forever. 

"Kriff. I don't wanna say anything, but I think this is all just- for nothing." You confessed. You sighed, playing with a napkin to occupy your hands.

Greez had stopped eating, "You think so? Cal and Cere think they have a winning shot." You shook your head juggling with your thoughts

"Yeah, but- I'm not them Greez. I got wrapped up in their fantasy and I forgot about _why_ the Order fell in the first place. I forgot about my values and why I have them in first place."

"I love Cere and Cal. And, I'm not gonna say anything- In fact, I'm gonna do everything in my power to help, but I'm personally loosing hope." You expressed your opinions to Greez, as he quietly listened to your speech.

He hummed, "Well, that's good. Right?"

"Yeah, I'm just conflicted. Seriously, don't worry because everything is going to fine." You assured Greez, patting his shoulder as you stood up.

* * *

You were tinkering at the workbench, trying to clean your lightsaber. The weapon had accumulated dirt, the grime caked into the crevices of the hilt had given it a dirty appearance.

"You've come very far, Y/N. Before you couldn't even bear to look at it, now you can't part with it." Cere spoke from behind you, referencing your lightsaber.

You sighed, turning to look at the woman. You wanted to avoid talking to her, but you knew you'd have to speak with her at some point. 

"Yeah." You weakly said. You looked anywhere but at the woman before you, remembering that she had lied to you made you feel betrayed.

Of course all those things you said to Trilla in defense of Cere still held true in your heart, you meant everything you had said. Though, it didn't change the fact that you were disappointed in your new master.

"Cere, I'm not mad at you. I'm just disappointed that you hid it from me. Cal, however, I don't know." You explained to her. You tapped your knuckles against the cool metal of the table, the noise occupying the silence between you and Cere.

"Y/N, I- You have to unders-" You rolled your eyes, cutting her off.

"Understand _what_ , Cere? Understand that you used the dark side? Understand that you lied to everyone? Is that what you want me to understand? You would've told me back I would've understood." You snapped, your anger rising to the surface.

You felt betrayed by the woman who took you in from a life of crime, she looked past your indiscretions and accepted you as you were when no one would.

Cere took her time responding, looking for the right words with which to defend herself. "I needed you, Y/N. I couldn't risk you or Cal turning me away. I didn't want you thinking of me in that way."

As she spoke your eyes softened, you hadn't thought of that. "You're human, Cere. We all make mistakes, I'm not a rule to the exception." You softly let out.

"You don't have to worry about me. Cal's the one whose on a warpath." You reminded her.

Cere nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. "Do better, though. I might've forgiven you, but I won't hesitate to leave. I don't like liars." You threatened, reminding her that you weren't a masochist for her.

You walked past her, the intention of working on creating stronger encrypted transmissions.

* * *

All three of you were gathered around the kitchen table once again as the door to the Mantis hissed open.

An extremely disheveled Cal walked through the door, the small droid he carried jumping off his back. Your heart soared as your eyes landed on him.

_He was okay..._

"Cordova believed the key to the Vault is on Dathomir."

_Dathomir?_

_Was he serious?_

"You found your Wookie?" Greez asked, taking a seat next to you on the far end of the table.

"Yep. But things are bad down there. Empire is everywhere." Cal informed the crew as he sat down to his own plate of food.

You looked at Greez with wide eyes as Cere spoke. He returned the same action, a wordless conversation being exchanged between the two of you.

"Inquisitors?"

"Well, Trilla- The Second Sister- Is gone for now but she's still chasing us." He took a sip of his water.

_Ouch..._

_He did **not** have to rub salt in **that** wound..._

"I defeated the Ninth Sister." He stated casually, turning back to his food as if he didn't just take down an Inquisitor twice his sizw.

You choked on your food, turning away from the table as Greez patted your back slightly. Gasping for air you sat back up, both you and Greez seasoning your food watching back and forth between the two Jedi.

The silence was deafening, the tension thicker than it ever had been. Still looking incredulously between the two you sipped on your water.

"Cal, when I was captured by the Empire...I resisted. I swore to myself that I would die before I would talk. But then this... Dark shadow came. And he was worse than any... nightmare I could have imagined. And I still fought." Cere defended her self.

You and Greez watched as Cal set down his fork forcibly, pushing his meal forward like a child getting scolded at the dinner table by his mother. Greez was still seasoning his food, a pile of the herbs now visible.

Cere kept sharing her story as Cal refused to look her in the eye. "But in the end I cam apart. And I gave them Trilla. And I know there's nothing I can do to make that right. But Cal, there's still a chance we can save the others on the holocron." 

Both you and your friend turned your gaze to Cal as he spoke. "Okay, look... The Ninth Sister said something about becoming an Inquisitor, like... Like it's inevitable. But you went through the same thing she did. An you didn't join them."

"Cal-" You both turned to Cere.

Cal cut her off, raising his voice. Again, you snapped your heads in his direction. Greez still shaking the seasoning.

"It's okay, Cere. We'll find Cordova's holocron." And with that he stood up and left.

BD-1 scanned Greez's plate, the blue light shining down on the food. 

"Hey!" The short male exclaimed.

"Get your lasers off my lunch!" He shooed away the droid.

The droid hopped into your arms, making its way onto your back. You giggled as BD trilled lowly in your ear.

The three of you sat in silence, eating your food at the table.


	15. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I'm sorry for the delay but school started back up. I also ran this chapter through an editor so let me know if this chapter was better written or easier to read than the rest. Like always, enjoy!

The ship lurched out of hyper space. A red, hostile looking planet appeared within view.

You looked at the planet with disdain, "What a hunk of rock." You expressed, an air of disgust to your words.

The ship landed on a cliff, giving you a clear view over the landscape. It looked deserted and rundown, something straight out of a horror movie.

Before you, stood a decrepit and dilapidated structure. The mark of a previous era of civilization etched into the horizon. Various native plants had grown over the rock and the harsh climate had chipped at the details.

You took off your headset, setting it down on the console below you.

"On the ship. Indoors. I got walls. I got Jedi. I'm fine. Yeah..." Greez muttered to himself. You patted his shoulder in comfort as you walked out the Mantis with Cal.

Cere was outside already, taking in and observing her surroundings. Her eyes landed on you and our companion, calling you over.

"You've two come a long way since Bracca, but the path is far from over. I want you to know the difficult challenges ahead." She warned as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Shifting  uncomfortably , you looked between the two Jedi. Cal sighed. "We can handle it." He defended.

Cere turned her attention to the boy next to you, "I know what you can do, I'm not denying that. And I know what has to  be done . I've done it before. Cal, even the strongest of Jedi..."

Cal gripped his fits, "We're not Trilla. We'll be fine." You winced as he mentioned Cere's previous Padawan.

_He didn't need to say that..._

"I know you're not. I didn't say that." Cere expressed, struggling to find the right words.

You stepped forward, trying to calm the tension between your two friends. "We're not asking you to say anything. It's okay, C.  Really ." You assured.

You felt uncomfortable. You weren't usually the one to mediate an argument or calm people down. In fact, you were usually the one starting the confrontations. The sudden shift in your role made you confused on what your role even was on board the Mantis.

Cere sighed, relaxing her posture. " Just  be safe, you two. That's all."

With that the conversation ended. The both of you left the woman behind, walking into the planet.

* * *

Walking side by side with Cal, BD-1 hopped off Cal's shoulder. The small droid walked over to a slab of stone, scanning the engravings with his blue light.

You and the boy knelt beside the droid, looking at the various carvings.

"Looks like the Zeffo were here." You stated, raking your fingers against the aged stone. Cal hummed, looking around before standing up.

"Strange. This place seems abandoned but..." He started. Before he could finish a green mist swirled behind you.

You turned around  quickly , taking hold of your lightsaber. The mist formed a hooded figure. Clad in dark robes and luxurious jewelry, the stranger stepped forward. Their face became illuminated by the light.

Her face was an ashen pale color, gray markings stretching across her face. Every hair on your body was on its end, a creeping suspicion making its way up your spine.

The woman's demeanor was making you feel nauseous, she seemed like a caged animal. The same stance you saw in Trilla.

"You trespass, Jedi." She spoke, her thick accent slurring her speech. Cal stood in front of you, shielding you from the stranger.

"You must be a Nightsister. I heard you were all dead." Cal stated, relaxing his posture. Feeling as if he had the upper hand.

You grabbed his hand; a wordless warning exchanged between the two of you.

The Nightsister stood back as Cal approached, extending his hand. "Not all." By now you were all but ready for a fight.

With a twist of her hand, the same green mist appearing. What you had assumed were Nightbrothers appeared. The mist fading into the background as they stepped forward.

"Dathomir  is forbidden  to you. Leave at once." She spat, pointing behind you.

You stepped back, your every fiber screaming at you. "I'm afraid I can't do that but...  perhaps  we could help each other. You see, we..." Cal tried to explain his way out the situation. Though, you had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy.

Your suspicions  were confirmed  as the Nightbrothers stood at attention and pointed their clubs at him .

Cal took a defensive stance, "Easy. We're not your enemy."

The woman raised both of her arms, again casting that green mist around her hands. Your friend stepped forward, hoping to stop her attack.

"Wait, hold on. We're not here to..." Before Cal could finish his sentence, the Nightsister moved her hands downwards.

The mist swirled around the men behind her, causing them to convulse  violently  as their eyes turned a vibrant green . As the mist calmed down, the woman had disappeared along with the green fog.

You ignited your light saber as did your friend. You fanned the Nightbrothers away, slashing at their chests as you pushed them back. The enemies stumbled around  weakly , clutching their chests in pain.

Cal took the opportunity to kill the brothers, stashing his weapon on his belt once he finished.

"Wow, Red! When did you get double blades?" You asked, doing the same as your friend.

He laughed, getting close to you. "See? Told you I'd upgrade my lightsaber. Now you're not the only cool one." He boasted, starting to head out towards the structure you saw earlier.

You rolled your eyes  playfully , jogging behind him to catch up. "Yeah, whatever. Anyways that girl was such a _bitch_." Expressing your opinions over the strange interaction you heard as Cal hummed.

* * *

Grabbing onto the vines, you hauled yourself up onto the bridge. Another strange, hooded figure stood by.

This person made your stomach drop. If the Nightsister gave you red flags, then this person was the one making the red flags. They hadn't even spoken, and you were already wanting to regurgitate your lunch.

They called out to you, "Oh, fellow wanderer! I see you met the resident Nightsister but, uh... Unlike most, you're alive." He spoke, his demeanor giving off 'crazy old man' vibes. He looked at your waist.

"Ooh, a lightsaber. No, no, don't hide it. That would explain your survival." Pointing at the both of your weapons as you attempted to shield them from his view.

You were on edge, not only was this place a hunk of deadly rock but you had already encountered your first enemy. You weren't all that keen on having to fight another bat shit crazy person.

"Who the kriff are you, old man?" You spat, not wanting to waste your time.

The man was taken aback, "You don't... no, no one to fear. No.  Just  a traveler. Studying the nature of... extinct cultures and dead philosophies."

You were skeptical, a researcher with no gear?  Just  standing on a decrepit bridge doing nothing. You didn't buy it for it a second. His stuttering and hesitance only furthering your suspicion.

"Yeah, uh huh. You studying the Nightsisters? No holopad, or anything? Yeah, right." You spat again, Cal holding his arm out to hold you back.

"Ooh. I study many things. But, yes, that Nightsister. Oh. She was only a child... When the war came to this world. She had to watch her whole family perish." The Wanderer spoke, filling you in on the history of that Nightsister.

You rolled your eyes, "She might be a bitch, but  I don't think  she'd appreciate you-" You began before Cal cut you off.

"What do you know about those ruins?" He asked the Wanderer.

All three of you turned towards the ruins, yet you kept your glare aimed at the strange man.

"Oh, heh. Ancient beyond belief. The Nightsister and her warrior kin... were seduced, by the power that lurks within. A-avoid the ruins. Or suffer the same fate." You ignored him, instead focusing on the structure in front of you.

Quickly  taking out any Nightbrothers that stood in your way you looked at the wall in front of you. Touching it you examined it closer.

Rubbing it with your fingers you looked at Cal, "Looks climbable, but not without equipment." You confirmed to your partner.

You looked up in time to see a Nightbrother pick up a boulder; throwing it down on the flimsy wooden platform you were on .

As the rock hit the wood, the floor underneath you gave out. Gravity pulling you down in the unknown. You yelled as you were falling, scared that you were about to meet your end.

"Oh kriff! Why do I keep coming on these missions!" You exclaimed, trying to Force pull and push your way through the chasm you were falling through.

As the ground appeared closer you realized it was a slope of mud, it would allow you to slide your way down  safely  . You landed  harshly , your ankles popping from the force of the impact. The soil was slippery, allowing you to glide with ease down the slope.

Soon there was a break in the slope, continuing down below. You looked up and spotted a stray vine, using the Force you pull it towards you.

You swung down onto the mud, sliding the rest of the way down until you were on solid ground. Once you were safe you patted your body down, making sure you were in one piece.

Cal soon joined you, stumbling forward before he did the same as you. You groaned, looking up at the sky.  Barely  making anything out beyond the walls and vegetation.

He exhaled, "Phew! Can't believe we made it." Cal exclaimed.

"Are you serious?! We were right there! What the kriff?!" You cussed out, not liking the fact that were set back by possible days.

Cal chuckled, putting a hand on you shoulder. "Hey! At least we're still alive, calm down." You groaned even louder, grabbing your hair  tightly .

"Calm down?! Cal, we're  probably  days out from getting to those stupid kriffing ruins!" You yelled, kicking the rocks on the ground.

You managed to calm down after a few minutes, deciding it wasn't worth wasting your energy on getting mad.

Squeezing your way through a tight space between the rocks you looked around.

"You will go no further." You heard a voice echo, that familiar green mist swirling around again on a rock above you.

You growled as you ignited your lightsaber, "Stand aside."

"No. He was right about you." She stated. This confused Cal, though you couldn't care less about what she was talking about.

"Who... what?" Cal asked, curious about what the Nightsister meant.

"Jedi are thieves and selfish liars who bring nothing but death." She spat, insulting the both of you. You stepped forward, taking an offensive stance.

"Back off. If you attack us again, we'll strike you down." You threatened, hoping she would lay off you.

The Nightsister smirked, a smug aura to her words. "Oh, I won't do a thing." She raised her arms, casting another spell.

"But my murdered sisters..." She cast her magick on the various bulbous growths from the ceiling.

The growths squelched as they opened, fluids and decomposing corpses falling out. You had to swallow the bile that rushed up from your stomach, the acid burning your throat.

That was disgusting...

The Nightsister finished her sentence, disappearing once again. "They will have their revenge."

The corpses of the dead Nightsisters rose, stumbling around as their eyes glowed.

You shuddered. Sure, you'd heard that necromancy was real, but you had never actually seen it. A part of you thought it was wrong to resurrect the dead against their will.

Shaking your head free of those thoughts, you lowered down into a fighting stance. The sisters screeched, their voices ripping through the air.

"Here we go." You muttered.

Huffing as you were climbing up a wall of vines, you spoke.

"How the hell does that Nightsister keep following us?" You expressed to Cal.

He left out a groan as he reached for another vine, pulling himself up. "Cere called them Force wielders, but I've never seen it used this way." You agreed, pushing yourself up to grab onto a ledge in the rock.

BD beeped, inserting himself into the conversation. Cal responded back to him, "We'd better stay on our toes. Wait, do you... have toes?" He asked.

You giggled as BD trilled lowly at his friend, an air of sass to the binary he was speaking.

Pulling yourself up onto the ground, a large creature was flying by in the distance. Considering it was Dathomir you had concluded it wasn't going to be too friendly.

"Any idea what that flying creature is?" Cal asked you, helping you up onto a tree trunk to cross a ravine. You shrugged, helping your friend up.

"Red,  just-just  hope you don't find out. Remember that curiosity killed the cat." He laughed at your pessimistic response, smirking in your direction.

"Yeah, but satisfaction brought it back." He countered. You rolled your eyes, not amused at your current situation.

Coming up on a village you kept walking,  carefully  balancing yourself on the wooden beams.

"This must be where the Nightbrothers live." Cal concluded. You heard a certain droid speak up and you hit the ground below you with a thud.

"Through there? Only if we have no other choice." Cal responded. You hummed as Cal knelt beside you, sensing another Force echo.

"The Nightsisters used to call their leader Mother. She used powerful Magick." He stated, wiping his knees as he stood up.

Walking over to another wall teeming with vines you started to climb up. " I wonder  how this place used to be before the war. Must have been powerful." You expressed to Cal as you inched your way up the wall.

Before your friend could a respond, the bat like creature from before flew overhead. Taking a Nightbrother with it as it swooped down. You lowered your head and made yourself smaller against the rock.

Popping your head out as it passed by you hooped up, helping Cal up. "That thing looks like trouble." You said, staring into the direction it flew off into.

You swept your eyes across the vast area, spotting a dead Night brother propped up against a rocky wall. Inspecting him further you felt Cal tap your shoulder.

Shrugging off his hand you kept patting down the dead brother. "Cal, I'm trying to look at something here. Gimme-" Before you could finish your sentence, he tapped you harder. Groaning you turned around, spotting the huge creature behind you.

It let out an ear-piercing screech, causing your ears to ring. It flew down, hitting the ground  harshly .

"Oh, kriff. I hate it here..." You muttered before running away from the creature. Splitting up from your partner, he yelled at you from across the cavern.

"Y/N! Attack its legs! I'll take the wings!" Groaning, you stretched your neck and jogged in place to psyche yourself up.

It took a few minutes for you to get an opening. The creature stood still, as if charging up its attack. You didn't care what it was doing, you didn't have the time or energy.

Rushing at the monster you started stabbing and slashing its legs. The sparks of your lightsaber flew everywhere as the blades hit the scaly skin.

The creature screeched as it jabbed at you with its sharp talons. You rolled back, dodging the various attacks it was throwing your way.

Again, the creature stopped as its talons were stuck in the ground. You took the opportunity to use Force stasis to slow it down, allowing for both you and Cal to get in close.

You both jumped in, getting in as many hits as you could. It had  barely  been a few minutes before the creature roared back to life, the force of its wings knocking you back. It lifted into the air before flying away,  weakly  using the walls to climb away.

You doubled over, heaving from lack of air. You looked at Cal with your hands on your knees as you almost passed out.

"How- How are you not- not kriffing... tired?!" You huffed, straightening out at you waited for an answer.

Cal shrugged and walked over to the dead body, searching it and giving it a once over. You tried to look over his shoulder. Though, his broad shoulders weren't allowing you to see anything.

He turned around, handing you a climbing gadget.

You looked at him  weirdly  , "Wow, awfully convenient that a dead Nightbrother  just  so happened to have two pairs of these- claw thingies ." You expressed.

"Huh. That _is_ kinda weird." Cal agreed, flexing the claws open. You rolled your eyes, grabbing onto the strange material on the wall.

Pulling yourself up the wall you noticed you felt lighter, travelling up the stone quicker than before .

"Hng. This is- much easier than before!" You exclaimed down below for Cal to hear. He laughed as he made his way next to you on the wall. You looked at your friend, your features softened as your heart slowed to a soft steady beat.

All you could focus on was Cal's hair flowing in the dry air and how his arms flexed every time he pulled himself up further . The more time you spent with him the less anxious you felt around him, if anything you felt calmer around the boy.

The sweet moment was short lived as something screeched in the distance. The ear-piercing sound pulling you straight from your thoughts.

Looking over your shoulder you saw as the horrible creature from before latched itself onto the wall below you  . You looked at Cal  frantically .

"Climb faster!" He yelled at you. The sudden shift in energy filled you with anxiety. The newfound adrenaline allowed you to haul yourself up the cliff faster.

The avian creature punctured the rock with its sharp talon, causing the wall to shake  violently . You looked up in time to see a large boulder come loose from the wall, tumbling downward at an increasing speed.

You paused for a moment, swallowing the lump in your throat as you threw all caution into the wind. Throwing yourself across the wall, you  narrowly  dodged the boulder. You looked down as you scrambled to grab onto the lichen.

The large rock crumbled as it hit the creature square in the face, the monster screeching in pain. The guttural noise sending a shiver up your spine as you made your way up the wall.

"How the kriff is that thing still after us?! What did we do to it?!" You yelled up at Cal as you dodged the debris that came down on you. Your feet gave out under you as the lichen below  was taken  out by the monster. You yelped as you felt your feet dangle  freely  in the air.

Picking up the case you saw as the cliff ended. As you tried to push yourself over the edge you felt as a large scaly object wrapped itself around your waist. It ripped you away from the ledge as you clawed at the talons around you.

"We're gonna die!" You heard Cal scream out. Looking around for him you saw him in the other talon of the creature. The creature’s talon wrapped itself  tightly  around Cal. Your friend’s face contorted in pain as he struggled against his captor’s hold.

As the altitude increased you felt even more nauseous. The ground below became smaller until you could no longer see it. Your lungs screamed for air as the air thinned and cooled with each inch that you ascended. Your stomach dropped every time the monster flapped its wings and screamed in your face.

Managing to find some wiggle room; you pulled out your lightsaber and ignited it. You didn’t want your guts ripped out of your abdomen; you would much rather fall to your death and die on impact. With this decision you  continuously  stabbed the flying creature with your weapon.

You heard another lightsaber ignite. You could only assume that Cal was doing the same thing as you. With one final stab the monster let out another cry, releasing its crushing grip around you.

You felt your stomach suspend in your abdomen; the gravity and wind battling over your body. Tears pricked at your eyes as fear infected every fiber in your being. Two large hands found their way around your forearms.

Looking up, you locked eyes with a familiar pair of green eyes. “Cal! Oh, my maker, Cal! What the kriff!” You screamed in his face as the wind hit your face  harshly .

As the ground came closer you spotted the monster gliding below you. “We’re gonna land on that thing!” Cal yelled at you as he moved below you. Your thighs clasped  tightly  around his waist, your arms doing the same around his chest.

Cal aimed for the creature’s nape, the dark fur becoming more detailed the closer you got. Your friend grabbed onto the thick tufts of fur, securing your place on the creature. You breathed out a sigh of relief. You dug your head into Cal’s neck, gripping his clothes for dear life as the creature kept flying.

Feeling the tugging at its fur the creature tried to throw you off. It thrashed around  violently , flapping its wings and jerking its head.

Looking up you saw as the monster was going to crash into a thick branch protruding from the side of a cliff. Your eyes widened as you noticed what the monster was trying to do.

“Oh no! No, no, no, no, no, AHHHH!”

“woah-woah-woah-woah-woah- wait!”

Both you screamed as you separated from the creature.  That familiar sinking feeling of your stomach returned as gravity dragged you down again . You flipped and tumbled around in the air before latching onto Cal again.

Getting close to the creature again you heard Cal yell out to you. “Here we go, again!” He grabbed onto the nape of the creature again, a death grip on the rough fur.

Your heart was batting against your ribs in a desperate attempt to jump out of your chest. You were trembling on Cal’s back, reduced to nothing but a bundle of nerves.

“Cal, I swear to the kriffing maker, if we-” You  barely  finished your sentence before the creature picked up its pace. Heading towards a rather large rock.

The large beast crashed into the rock, causing the massive structure to crumble. Cal jumped off the beast, tightening his grip around the back of your thighs.

As you crashed into the ground you rolled off Cal’s back. The harsh ground caused a great pain in your back. The boy beside you helped you up, on edge of what was happening.

You scrambled onto your feet, adrenaline coursing through your veins as you stood.

“I don’t know how we’re going to get down from this! It’s a long drop.” Cal exclaimed. His gloved fingers intertwined with yours as he looked over the ledge. The creature was down below, flying  erratically  through the air.

BD-1 chirped, the binary the droid was speaking falling upon deaf ears. “Jump again?” The boy asked. Your eyes widened in abject horror.

“What?!” You yelled in disbelief. You didn’t get a response; instead Cal tightened his grip on your hand before jumping off the ledge.

Jumping into the depths below  blindly  ; you screwed your eyes shut out of pure fear and tightened your grip on Cal’s hand . The harsh wind nipped and pulled at your supple skin as you plummeted towards the creature.

You collided with the creature, your feet sliding out from beneath you. You peeled your eyes open to see that you were beginning to slip off the fur or the creature.

Using your free hand to grasp at any tufts of fur you also kicked at the beat to stop your self from falling. Your breath quickened as you neared the edge. Your chest starting to hurt from how fast your heart was beating.

The creature dove, crashing into various branches and plants. Causing you to lose your grip. As you were falling you felt as if everything around you slowed. The last thing you saw as you went over the edge was a tuft of red, flowing hair.

_Were you really  going to die like this?_

_You hadn’t even gotten to be in a relationship with Cal…_

Your eyes watered, blurring your sight. You let out a gross sob, “Cal!”

You didn’t want to die. There were still so many things that you wanted to do, so many things you wanted to say. The thought of never seeing your friends again scared you more than death itself.

The air  was knocked  out of your lungs as you sobbed harder, the snot running down your nose. You still felt Cal’s hand, but your fingers were slipping from his grasp. The more your hands slipped the more fear you felt, a crippling anxiety settling in your deepest core.

A familiar gloved hand reached over the side of the beast, latching itself onto your collar. Cal’s head popped up, his features contorting into a strained look as he pulled you up over the nape. The tugging at the collar choked you a bit, the course fabric pushing against your neck.

You didn’t care, though. You only cared about the fact that would see Cal again, his freckled face a heaven for your eyes. As you pulled yourself up the rest of the way you hugged your friend  tightly . Sniffing, you dug your head into his chest.

The creature roared, reminding you of the fact that you were still thousands of miles up in the air. It flew up into the air before convulsing and letting out one last screech. It froze mid-air and started to spiral  rapidly  towards the ground below.

_Did you ever catch a kriffing break?_

Your ears popped in a painful way, the pressure releasing  rapidly  from them. Cal wrapped his arms around your waist before jumping off the creature.

You collided with the ground before you bounced off, the impact causing you searing pain through your body . Rolling off the rocky ground you caught your shoulder against a large rock. The force of the impact tore through your tender skin, exposing the bloody muscle.

The red liquid poured out of your injury and mixed with the dirt and created a filthy grime over your fresh wound. You cried out in pain as you held your shoulder, the touch sending a stinging pain through your nerves.

You coughed as the debris in the air subsided, clearing your vision. Using the floor as leverage you pushed off it to stand up, your legs feeling weak as you did so. Your legs crumbled out from underneath you, making you fall on your behind as you cradled your injury.

Heaving, you rubbed the debris from your eyes as you called out for Cal. “Cal! (cough) Cal, are you okay?!”

You felt someone kneel beside you. “Hey, I’m okay. I’m okay. Wish I could say the same for this creature though.” Cal’s voice assured you. You felt his gentle touch around your wound. You hissed as he poked around the sensitive area.

“Man, kriff that forsaken thing.” You groaned out, the pain being the only thing you could focus on.

“BD, stim.” You heard him tell the droid. The small droid replied in a series of beeps and trills before handing over a small vile of green liquid. Biting the collar of your shirt you braced yourself for the pain of the needle.

Feeling a small prick near your shoulder, the area felt cool. As if the burning pain was being treated with a cool substance. Fingering the area with your glove you felt nothing but skin.

“There. All better, but I can’t say the same for your clothes.” Cal sighed, helping you up.

You jogged in place to shake the adrenaline out of your body. “Cal- You owe me a damn good date after all this is over.” You spat his way, rubbing your sore shoulder. The boy laughed and scratched his neck  nervously .

“Heh, c’mon. This isn’t so bad! At least we’re together.” He exclaimed, wrapping his arm around your shoulders. You widened your eyes and looked at him as if he had gone completely mad.

“Not so- Not so bad?! Did that thing also destroy your brain?!” You yelled at him, smacking his arm  lightly . You rolled your eyes before walking away.

“I’m so over this, I hate this. I hate everything about this!”


	16. Part 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so, I'm writing this chapter on a whim after finally falling in love with our resident ginger again, but I'm back for a short while 😩
> 
> Y'all are gonna hate me for this one lmao

You let out a huff as you pulled yourself up another wall. The aching pain gripping your body only exacerbating the exhaustion in your veins. Sucking the hot, dry air of Dathomir in through your teeth, you stood to your full height.

The familiar crackling of the comms rung through your ears and Cere's smooth voice embraced your senses. "Have you guys found the tomb?"

You scoffed, rolling your eyes. "Maker, I wish." Cal snorted as he patted your back in solidarity.

"We, uh, got a little sidetracked." The boy let out tiredly. Deciding to keep the journey on track he led you through the hostile landscape.

You hear Cere sigh. You could practically see the deep creases in her forehead as she rubs it out of frustration. "Greez is acting strange."

"When is he not, C." You comfort her, knowing how _intense_ your companion can get when he's out of his element.

Her next words put you on edge again, the hairs on your neck standing straight. "He swears he saw someone outside the Mantis. Dathomir's getting to him."

Your old friend, nausea, made its home in the pit of your stomach as all possible scenarios raced through your mind. Sure, Greez could be a little too paranoid for your tastes, but the pilot had a remarkable intuition.

Before you could get too wrapped up in your anxieties you heard your partner speak up. "Pretty sure that's who he is." His curt response pulling you from your thoughts.

"Are you alright?" Cere questioned, concern lacing her words.

"Just _peachy_." You quipped. You nudged a small rock out of your way, the worn leather of your boots contrasting against the red rock.

"We're coming out of a Nightbrother village now. Hoping to get back on track." Cal answers the woman, a much more coherent answer than your moody grumbles.

At this Cere audibly relaxed, her tone much lighter than before. "Sounds like you're handling yourself."

Cal shot you a tired smile, the bags under his eyes evident.

_When did those get there?_

Your face scrunched at the observation. You decided you didn't like the look of exhaustion on his face, not suiting his otherwise cheerful face. Though, you could understand how all the pressure and responsibility that was thrust upon him so suddenly could start getting to him. You, yourself were also starting to feel weighed down.

"Yeah, we got this." He stated, offering you a gentle pat on your back.

* * *

You passed by the bridge you had fallen through earlier, noting the lack of the strange man's presence you had encountered earlier that day.

"No sign of that crotchety old man. Good." You nodded to yourself, deciding not to spare a second thought to suspicious elder.

Cal kept walking, hot on your trail. "I wonder if the Nightbrothers got him." He asked out loud.

Your eyes spotted a few stray Nightbrothers in the distance. You waved a hand over your shoulder. "You worry too much about others Red. You should worry more about those Nightbrothers ahead of us."

Unsheathing your lightsaber, you made quick work of the archer that was perched high above you. Extending your hand, you pulled him towards you, effectively putting him out like a light.

Glancing back, you spot your favorite red head walking towards you. The unconsious bodies of his opponents in the background.

"Well that was easy." You smirked, twirling your weapon around your skilled fingers before sheathing it back on your hip. He patted your head lightly as he walked past you.

"If only it was always like that." He voiced his thoughts to you, chasing after him.

* * *

You whistled as you took in the sight before you. You seared the interior of the tomb into your mind, the intricate carvings and architecture unlike anything you've ever seen before.

You grazed your fingers along the etched stone, the grey color a refreshing sight after boring your eyes into the red rock just a few steps outside.

"Woah, maybe this wasn't a waste after all Cal." You expressed in wonder, still looking around. Rolling your shoulders back you notice the lack of response from Cal. Sparing a glance over your shoulder you took note of the tranced look gracing his features.

"Cal?" You dropped your hands from your hips, fully turning around to face your partner.

"Hey, helloo?" You waved your hands in his face, examining the milky appearance to his once vibrant olive hues. He was a standstill, almost as if he was possessed by something. Further inspecting his features, you really took notice of his fatigued expression; his skin pale and sickly, littered with scrapes and bruises. His eyes sunken in and hollowed out cheeks.

_Had you really been this ignorant?_

That nauseous feeling that had settled into your body earlier rose again, a feeling of dread and anxiety flooding your body like a tsunami. You shook your dear friend, trying to snap him out of his trance.

"Cal! Come on!" You exclaimed before he suddenly doubled over, a low grunt escaping his chapped lips.

Before you could kneel to check up on him, a terrible pain wrapped itself around your head. You stumbled backwards, gripping your head as the throbbing pain overtook all your senses. A pounding sensation beating against your entire head. Sinking to your knees you curled in on yourself, hot tears wetting your cheeks.

"Kriff, I feel like my cranium's going to kriffing split in two! Cal!" You yelled out, screwing your eyes shut. Squirming on the hard ground the pain dissipated as quickly as it came on.

You heaved, trying to ground yourself as quickly as possible so that you could check up on your friend. You widened your eyes, snapping your head up to survey your surroundings, desperately searched for Cal.

"Cal!" You shouted, your throat becoming raw from all the yelling you had been doing.

Scrambling to your feet you took in your surroundings, a thick fog veiling the scene. Still breathing heavily, you turned around as the sound of heavy footsteps bounced off the stone walls.

"Oh, Cal. You sc-" Stopping mid-sentence you froze in your spot. Your boots becoming bricks gluing you to the ground beneath you.

Fear started to climb through your figure, digging its thorns into your tense muscles and choking you from the inside out as you struggled to process the sight before you. Its toxicity infecting you inch by inch.

Tears were freely flowing from your bloodshot eyes and down your chin as you hiccupped and choked down your sobs to appear smaller.

Anything to not be in your position right now.

It took all your strength to fight against your frozen muscles to swallow the growing lump in your throat.

Before you stood your dead master.

His pristine robes and neatly kept hair all familiar to you, but the hostility in his eyes completely foreign to you. An animalistic and menacing flare in his blue eyes, his thick eyebrows pulled together to form a scowl.

"Tch. Why are you here? What gives you the right to be here?" He spits, his harsh words cutting into you and crumbling all your resolve.

You stood there, like a deer in headlights as he circled you. His footsteps amplified the fact that you felt like a prey in the predator’s territory.

He stopped in front of you, his breath fanning across your face as you stared straight ahead, not daring to try your luck any further today. He grabbed your face with a large hand, forcing you to look into his eyes. You took notice of how they didn't have that kind and gentle sparkle to them as they once did.

"I asked you a question, _padawan_." He gritted through his teeth, his fierce gaze piercing right through you. Your bottom lip trembled as you couldn't find the words, an invisible force choking your words down.

"I'm sorry, ma-"

_*SMACK*_

Your body lurched forward, the force of his hand sending you out of your shock. Hitting the ground harshly you gripped your face as you looked up at your once father figure. Gasping, you soothed the raw skin.

"You're such a disappointment."

His words felt like he had taken a sledgehammer straight to your already fragile heart. The pieces you and your friends had worked so hard to put together shattered all over again.

"Wh-what?" You whimpered out, terrified of angering him. "But you sai-"

"I know what I said." He crouched next to you in a taunting manner.

"But this isn't what I wanted. You're disgracing my name in your thieving wake. I mean- you're calling yourself a Jedi when you ally yourself with those disgraces."

His lips form a sneer as he looks down at you in disgust. "And to think that I let you kill me so easily. You don't deserve your title."

You balled your fists against the floor, clenching your jaw as tried to choke down your sobs. "Shut up. _Please."_ You managed out.

Alehum stood to his full height, his large frame towering over your frail body. He pulled back his right foot before bringing it forward with all his might.

Your curled in on yourself clutching your abdomen, swallowing down the bile that was forced up into your throat. You barely had enough time to regain your breath before he kicked you again, something in your body breaking with a sickening crack.

This time you couldn't hold it back as you spilled the contents of your stomach onto the floor, the acid burning your throat as you coughed.

Alehum pulled his foot back again as he put more strength into his assault, strands of his neatly styled hair falling out of place.

"How dare you talk to me like that, you kriffing piece of-" The man cut himself off as he kicked you again before pulling you up by the collar of your collared shirt.

"Ah!" You scream out in pain as he roughly pulls you up above his head before Force pushing you against the wall behind you.

You felt your back bend unnaturally as it bounced off the cool rock. Sliding down onto the floor you slump forward, coughing into your fist. Pulling it back you examine the tiny red spots on your glove.

Before you could react, you were being choked by an invisible force, dragging you painfully up the rock as it rips through the fabric of your outfit and through the skin of your back.

Clawing at the air around your neck, your vision starts to become littered with black dots as the oxygen slipped from your lungs. You coughed and gasped, hoping to gulp any bit of air possible.

You manage to look down to see Alehum below you, his arm stretched out. 'Wh-why are y-you doing this?" You choke out, hearing your own scratchy voice escape your now blue lips.

Your assailant ignites his lightsaber, the blue light glowing across his face and the quiet hum of the plasma filling the silence.

The deranged look in his eyes lets you know that this is it for you. "Why? You know why." He barked before he sunk the blade into your lower abdomen.

Letting out a shocked noise, you make eye contact with your former master. The room around you begins to spin, though you don't know if that's from your life slipping form you or some other factor.

Soon your master's face becomes your dear friend's. Those familiar green hues and peppered freckles a comforting sight. Your heart immediately calmed, fatigue washing over you in waves. As more of his figure was revealed you noticed his expression. His eyes blown wide and bloodshot.

You managed to look down to see the hilt of his weapon digging painfully into your flesh, sparks flying from the exposed wires. The stench of burning flesh filled your nose as you looked back up into Cal's eyes.

Somehow his eyes widened even further, as if realizing what he had done. He yanked the lightsaber away from you as he caught you before you could hit the floor.

"Y/N!" The boy yelled out, his pained voice hurting your ears as you slumped against him. "Y/N, hold on- oh my maker what have I done? Please, starlight, hold on!" His voice faded out and his face blurred into vague shapes and sounds as your world went black.


End file.
